Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Florida Sportsman

It’s almost certain that Florida’s constitutional gillnet ban will live on. Almost, that is. But the historic reform of 1995 faces possible tinkering this year from a little-noticed Constitution Revision Commission that is reviewing the entire state constitution for possible changes. Scary. The net ban was passed in the general election of 1994 by an overwhelming 72 per cent majority. It won big after decades of netting slaughters had depleted fish and other marine populations. For decades, all efforts to stop the overkill had failed on legislative and commission levels. Totally fed up, anglers and other conservation forces launched a Ban the Nets campaign in 1992. It took many months to craft the amendment’s exact language. Fortunately, the adopted provisions then survived one legal and political attack after another. The…

The natural bottom of the Gulf off the Navarre Beaches is typically flat, featureless sand—nothing to attract and hold reef fish. For best Gulf fishing, there needs to be something solid on the bottom. How about two square miles of something solid? Mike Sandler, chairman of the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary Committee tells us that a much larger artificial reef system has been approved, and funding has been provided to construct the structure. This massive structure will cover the bottom one mile north and south and two miles east and west, and it will lie in 60 feet of water less than a mile off the beach at Navarre, in Santa Rosa County. This big reef system will consist of over 700 individual reef modules, and it will all be…

MyFWC.com  is the place to apply for limited-entry permits. When you visit that page, hover your cursor over the “Hunting” tab and roll down to “Limited Entry Hunts.” From there, follow the links to apply for hunts and read the rules and application dates. Compared to other states, the process is straightforward. But, there’s more! If you go back to the “Hunting” tab, scroll down to the “WMA Brochures” link. Under this has all of the rules for each WMA in the state. You’ll also notice a link that will take you to a list of WMAs that don’t require limited-entry permits in order to hunt. One of my favorites, though, is the “Harvest Reports” link. From here you can search current and historic harvest totals for public hunting areas…

Scientists across the state have for years had success rebuilding damaged and destroyed seagrass beds. Scientists at Florida Oceanographic Society’s FOSTER program are developing a new technique which does not require removal of any existing healthy seagrass. They regrow blades of seagrass washed up on beach shorelines and fabricate them into plantable mats. The mats, made of biodegradable materials like coconut thatch, have already been shown to reroot, grow and thrive in test locations in the Indian River Lagoon. “We use a previously unused resource of seagrass fragments,” says Dr. Vincent Encomio, Director of Scientific Research at FOS. “What we have growing in our lagoon at FOS is lush and healthy. We can use it for replanting, but we plan to continue our citizen-science project with our volunteers." See…

During the month of June, South Florida is blessed with relatively calm, prevailing southeast winds that make heading offshore to the broadbill swordfish grounds quite comfortable. The broadbill swordfish roams the deep oceans all over the world, and our local population offers intense sporting opportunities. This giant bill-fish can exceed 1,000 pounds. The broadbill swordfish can be caught on the surface and along the bottom in as much as 2,000 feet of water. Like all billfish, the swordfish, once hooked, makes extremely long runs, usually jumps numerous times and, depending on the size of the fish, can take hours to land. Most swordfish are caught using live or dead baits but a few have been caught with artificial lures as well. In the 1980s, swordfish were heavily fished by commercial…

Thousands of snook are balled up in tight schools in spawning mode in the passes and we should probably leave these reproducing fish alone. Fortunately not all of our snook spawn at the same time and many of the fish that are not actively spawning are scattered outside along the beaches and stacked up inside under docks and bridges along the ICW. Beach snook might be found almost anywhere along the coast cruising in singles, pairs or in small pods, but they do tend to bunch up around structures such as rocks, blow-downs and sometimes even piles of shell. Here’s a prediction: The newly constructed rock groin at the north side of Stump Pass will be an absolute snook magnet all summer. Shark fishing is on fire. Nighttime fishing on…

With anglers hoping for big dolphin, East Central Florida’s offshore season kicks off in mid May and with luck it should be running full bore through June for teams out of Ponce, Canaveral and Sebastian. Other early season targets will be kingfish and wahoo. The beauty and aerial acrobatics of dolphin goes unequaled. For that and other good reasons, dolphin is No. 1 on most anglers’ favorites list. But many of us are coming off a disappointing year in 2016 when there was a noticeable shortage of dolphin over the state’s 20-inch minimum. There were trips with good numbers in the box by Ponce Inlet and Canaveral captains but in too many cases the dolphin proved scarce and people switched to kingfish as their priority. It’s only natural for local…

For most of us the best bet is heading offshore and chasing big red snapper and king mackerel. (If there is a federal waters season this year, which was not determined at press time, then it would start June 1. The state approved a 78-day Gulf state waters season for recreational anglers.) The hours spent offshore this time of year are hard to beat, but it’s not always an option. If you happened to be land locked or just want to mix things up the beaches are hard to beat. Crystal clear warm water and species like ladyfish, hardtails, jacks, Spanish mackerel, whiting and pompano will keep the rods bent and smiles coming. If you are heading offshore the one thing you can never have too much of is bait!…

This time of year look for anything different: weedlines, logs, birds and tide rips or temperature changes. Also get away from other boats. With the water warming, dolphin and other fish are on their way up the coast and that means you need to gear up and put the throttles down to find the action. Trolling in the blue water takes a special breed and after you’ve seen what is going on below the surface, it’s hard to do 6 knots all day watching ballyhoo skip along, crossing your fingers for a bite. This is the time of year to get into the water and make things happen! This time of year, I prefer to run and gun looking for anything different: weed-lines, logs, birds and tide rips or temperature…

Back in the 1980s, the look of a Key West guide boat was instantly recognizable: a simple open boat with no outriggers, a small T-top or no top at all, and if you were the “flashy” type, the captain’s name was hand lettered near the transom. One such boat from that era was the Fishin’ Magician, a 1988 25 SeaVee owned by Capt. Gary Marconi. Ask a local who was around at the time and they’ll probably tell you that by Capt. Marconi’s hand, this boat had seen more tarpon landed in Key West Harbor than most could dream of catching in a lifetime. But alas, time marches on. Salt water and tropical sunlight take their toll on man and boat alike. Flash forward to 2014 and the Fishin’ Magician…

Trolling for Pelagics “By trolling you will not only catch mahi, but most of the sought after pelagic fish. I like using a wire leader in case a large wahoo shows up and always keep an eye on the sky. The birds will show you where the fish are.”—from the Keys Spotter, p. 78. Send us your photos We welcome your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at w w w.floridaspor tsman.com. We prefer digital pictures, 600 KB to 1 MB in jpeg format. For smartphone photos, email the Actual Size—highest resolution shot. Images must not have appeared or been submitted elsewhere. Send photos to: photos@floridaspor tsman.com. Include names of people pictured, hometowns, location of catch and any key details,…

One sport just never seems to get the publicity it deserves and that is the fantastic shark fishing we have in our region. The 10,000 Islands is a fascinating area to fish for sharks because there is an abundant population of a number of different species of these predators. The bull sharks are easily the most famed sharks of our region, known for their size and power. There are also the lemons combing the oyster bars, spinner sharks leaping on the shoals and of course the huge hammerheads that cruise our waters. The opportunity to catch what could be the largest fish you ever tangle with is available to you in the month of June. The rising water temperatures bring in hordes of bait, including glass minnows, threadfin herring and…

Tarpon have gathered in schools to take part in their annual spawning rituals. You’ll find them in the passes and just off the beaches along our coast from Boca Grande to Hernando Beach. The peak of this schooling activity is on the days leading up to the full moon. The best tide to be on the water fishing for tarpon will be the late afternoon outgoing. Certainly you’ll have some great pre-dawn fishing opportunities as the tide bottoms out and begins to return, but the bite will be different than the afternoon bite. The strong afternoon tide creates tide rips that carry floating mats of seaweed out, and with it blue and calico crabs, a favorite forage for tarpon. Warm weather stirs the appetites of many other fish. Small patches…

How in the world are we ever going to fit all the great fishing June has to offer into just 30 days? We’re due a month of calm seas and perfect sunrises. The kids are out of school, and if fishing is on your vacation schedule, you’d better have your destination and a guide lined up to show you the ropes. I’d be willing to bet you there are more lines in the water and fillets in the grease in June than during any other month of the year. The freshwater fishermen have pretty much put away their speckled perch poles. Bream, warmouth, and catfish are the focus species for panfish fishermen, while bass fishermen concentrate less on shallow water during daylight and spend more time focusing on the skies.…

Cat Island, a slender island in the Central Bahamas rich with bluewater prospects, is 278 miles from Miami, 331 from Fort Pierce and 565 from Jacksonville. This fish haven is the eastern border separating the Exuma Sound and open Atlantic Ocean. From Nassau, it’s a little over a hundred miles and basically an easy run down the Exuma Cay chain. The best way coming from the States is to spend a night in Nassau, leave early the next day and you’re at the dock in South Cat by the early afternoon (running at 20 knots in good conditions). On choppier days en route to Cat from Nassau, it’s easier to stay on the lee side of the Exuma Cays all the way down to Staniel Cay then run across from…

When the FLW Tour visited the Harris Chain of lakes, Florida pro J.T. Kenney played a shell game; but his was no gamble. Rather, integrating shell beds into his game plan proved a productive bet, as the Palm Bay pro placed second in the tour’s third stop. “Those shell beds are a hard bottom with the algae that bait-fish feed on,” Kenney said. “I don’t think the bass care about mussels. They’re there because the bait’s there. I’ve never caught them on a shell bed where I didn’t see bait flickering around, or I didn’t see them on my graph.” Because Florida’s spawning season can stretch into late spring, these spots often see fish coming and going. Prespawners will feed up before moving shallow and once they’ve done their thing,…

While the tourist season has slowed down, the fishing season is in full swing. All of the top contenders are still around, school is out, and there is no better time for a last-minute, family escape to the Keys. June allows you to take advantage of discounted hotel rates, too. Spring time is spawning time for many of the snapper species, particularly the mutton snapper. Expect an amazing snapper bite throughout the month of June. This event is happening throughout the Keys, but by June, the most popular spot is Western Dry Rocks to the southwest of Key West. The bite usually happens in about 115 feet of water on the edge of the bar. You can fish for them on the bottom by using a knocker rig or you…

Many people are thinking about one direction on the compass this time of year, east! With June comes calm seas, light winds and beautiful blue bird days, the perfect scenario for crossing from Southeast Florida over to the Bahamas. Anglers can’t get enough of the turquoise Bahamas water and the excellent fishing that goes along with it. Whether you are heading to Grand Bahama or Bimini, both are just a few hours away by boat. There will be some opportunities for yellowfin tuna this month in the Bahamas. Getting to the “corner” north of West End at first light (necessitating at least one overnight after checking in) will increase your chances at hooking up. Don’t hesitate to try the late afternoon hours as well, when the sun is not directly…

Expect the first half of June to be “fishing as usual” all along the Taylor County coastline. The vast grass bed that stretches all along the Big Bend will be alive with bait, likely targets for spotted seatrout, redfish, cobia, Spanish mackerel and groupers. But this year, Florida’s recreational bay scallop season in most of Taylor County begins early, on June 16. For Taylor County waters north of the Fenholloway River, the season will open on July 1, just like the waters south of the Suwannee River. However, those northern waters are dark and usually not nearly so gin-clear as those near Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, where most of the scallops (and the scallopers) gather. Know this—the boat ramps at Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach will be busy and their parking…

Anglers with a taste for gag grouper need to take advantage of the last month of the open season in state waters and the start of season in federal waters. Excuses such as I can’t make long runs offshore or I don’t have a lot of hot GPS numbers don’t cut it because there are numerous alternatives to fishing deepwater hotspots. The regulations are a bit complex. In state waters, gag is open June 1-Dec. 31 (excluding Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor, Jefferson counties). Gag is open Apr. 1 - June 30 in state waters off of Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor and Jefferson counties. The gag grouper season opens in federal waters June 1 – Dec. 31. Inshore grouper trolling opens up a world of catching opportunities to anglers with moderate sized boats…

Every year weather and health permitting, I trailer our 23-foot Mako to Key West from Tampa, with my wife Judy, for a week of offshore fishing. We usually troll the weedlines for dolphin, while occasionally going out 15 or more miles hoping for bigger fish. This trip is truly a treat for us because at home, we often have to go 50 or 60 miles offshore to reach a hundred feet of water. On our big trip, we arrived Friday for the 4th of July weekend and fished all day Saturday, but unfortunately were unable to find any weedlines or dolphin. Sunday we decided to try in 1,000 feet of water where we had landed some large dolphin in years past. It was a beautiful sunny day with 2- to…