Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Florida Sportsman

If I had to pick a best-ever all-star team of fishery officials one name would pop up real quick. Tom Fraser. We need him now. Tom would I think lead us out of this amazingly dumb red snapper imbroglio whereby we have seasons of a couple days, or confusing closures. And we even face situations where commercial takes of red snapper may be allowed even while any personal-use angling could be banned. For eight years (four as chairman), Dr. (fisheries professor) Tom Fraser was a key leader of the Marine Fisheries Commission, now the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He had found himself out gunned by the influential gillnet industry and eventually endorsed the constitutional net ban of 1995. It was good to see Tom's name just a few days…

Snap, crack, pop, crunch! We have all heard these sounds. You’ve just unintentionally converted your favorite one piece rod into a two piece. Maybe it was a defective rod blank, or you happened to crunch it in the front door on your way out to the fishing spot. After the handful of choice words (or many handfuls) and childish tantrum us men tend to throw when this happens, it’s time to get the rod fixed. Here’s what you need to do. Some fixes are a simple matter. Let’s say you stepped on a guide of your rod that was lying on the deck of your boat. Or you accidently reeled up your leader too far and knocked out the ceramic insert on the tip. Easy, peasy. Save your money on…

West Marine Ultra-Slim Manual Inflatable Lifejacket Belt Pack West Marine Ultra-Slim Belt Pack offers a low-profile, slim design that provides maximum comfort and maneuverability while paddling , fishing or other recreational boating. Features easy manual pull cord inflation with oral inflation back up. It provides 19 pounds of buoyancy with its internal 16g CO2 charge, yet the wearer can provide additional buoyancy of up to a total 26.5 pounds by using the oral inflation tube. Easily repacked and maintained, this life vest must be manually placed around the head after inflation and is therefore recommended for competent swimmers only. This vest is USCG Type V with Type III performance. $89.99. West Marine Inshore Automatic/Manual Inflatable Lifejacket West Marine Inshore Automatic/Manual Inflatable Lifejacket is designed to automatically inflate when immersed in…

“Partners and donors contribute money, manpower and other resources to provide top-quality adventures.” Editor’s Note: In honor of Independence Day, we felt it appropriate to reflect on some of the programs supporting wounded military service personnel by connecting them with the therapeutic joys of fishing and hunting in Florida. A number of Florida Sportsman writers contributed to this article. —Jeff Weakley, Editor OPERATION OUTDOOR FREEDOM Operation Outdoor Freedom (OOF) is a state program matching landowners and volunteers with disabled Florida veterans eager to experience unique outdoor opportunities. The program operates under the Florida Forest Service. It provides guided and unguided events that applicants may register for online. More than 2,500 servicemen and women have participated since 2011, when Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam sponsored legislation creating OOF. Events are free,…

The Florida lobster mini season on July 26-27 brings eager bully netters, snorkelers and divers to the inshore and offshore waters, all looking to catch their legal limit of lobsters before the commercial lobster fleet starts pulling their traps on August 6. If fishing isn’t your thing but you enjoy eating and maybe catching your own legal lobsters, then you could try your luck during the annual lobster mini season that runs for two days on July 26 and 27. Catching a legal-size Florida lobster is not going to be the easiest thing you have ever taken on, but it is fun and the rewards can make any one’s taste buds happy. What you will need is a saltwater fishing license, a lobster stamp, tickle stick to encourage the lobster…

Tarpon fishing is still hot, but we need to shift our efforts inland because spawning season has wound down. There are still some tarpon in the big passes, but the huge wads of fish which were stacked there have now mostly dispersed. Many of these post-spawn fish have moved into the dark water of the estuaries where fishing in the Peace, Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers will be good all summer, and where large, loose bunches of tarpon will move around the deeper portions of the central harbor too. Top areas for these fish include the three deep holes in central Charlotte Harbor, the north end of Matlacha Pass and in the deep slough west of the Cape Haze Bar. You can find them by looking for rolling fish, schools of…

On the south fork of the Sebastian River near the town of Sebastian in north Indian River County, the snook, tarpon and largemouth bass will be eating no matter what the weather has in store during the summer months. July usually brings rain, and that results in runoff pulling in a rush of forage that can generate some heavy feeding periods. On the other hand, a dry season finds the sport fish concentrated in deep holes and cuts, making them easier to locate and hungry for handouts. Either way, East Central Florida anglers can’t go wrong by plying the natural and meandering south fork that presents a direct opposite fishing scenario from the deepened and channelized north fork. The distinctly different forks flow into the main body of the Sebastian…

When it comes to pelagic fishing in the Panhandle, July offers the most variety and quality fishing relatively close to shore. With warm sunny skies, light breezes and flat calm seas, fishing the weedlines and rips can make for some memorable days on the water. Wahoo, mahi-mahi, tripletail, small dolphin, black-fin, yellowfin, and billfish are all on the list. The trick to be successful is putting in the time and adjusting to each situation as it comes along. Everyone has their favorite technique, but having a variety for each situation will increase odds of a full cooler. Trolling lures, rigged ballyhoo, topwater lures, diving lures, jigs, chunking, and live baiting should all be in your tool belt. Knowing which technique to use and when to use them takes experience. The…

As summer heats up, so does the competition in the Florida CCA STAR tournament, where you can register your every-day eligible catches for possible prize winnings. The STAR features an Open, Ladies, Fly, Kayak, Lionfish and Professional Guides division. Eligible species are spotted seatrout, snook, sheepshead, non-tagged redfish, cobia, dolphin (mahi mahi) and kingfish, so any angler registered for a tournament in Florida that targets these fish can take a chance on increasing their winnings by also entering STAR. The winners of each species division will be determined from a drawing of eligible catches logged throughout the derby-style tournament, which runs through the summer and ends Labor Day Weekend. Anglers can still register, and your fish must be caught after you are registered. The format is catch-photo-release for the STAR…

If you’re looking for a tasty and simple-to-prepare summertime meal with a fancy French name, this recipe is for you. I’ve been lucky to spend some time in Paris (France, not Texas or Tennessee), where simple and tasty croques monsieur are the focus of lunch at almost any street side café. Simple, and usually served with a lightly dressed salad and a glass of wine, this French take on a grilled ham and cheese sandwich can’t be beat. This version, with the addition of crabmeat, takes it to yet another level. Mister Crab (serves 6) 6 thick slices of crusty sourdough bread Unsalted butter ½ pound shredded gruyere (not Swiss) cheese 6 thin slices prosciutto (not boiled) ham 2 cups whole (not skim) milk 1/2 cup crème fraiche or heavy…

When in Doubt, Go Deep Deep water is a good place to fish this month. Bluewater areas like the Middle Grounds, the Steps and the Elbow hold some true monsters. South and west of the Suncoast, coming in as close as about 70 miles from our shores, the Loop Current usually makes its way northward as it comes around the Keys from the Gulf Stream.”—from the West Central Spotter, p. 66. Send us your photos We welcome your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at www.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:…

Summertime in the 10,000 Islands region generally brings calm waters, hot days and great fishing for permit on the near-shore wrecks that span the Gulf of Mexico from Florida Bay up through the offshore waters off Naples. If you are into hard pulling, unpredictable gamefish, July may be one of the finest months to tangle with permit. There is much to consider regarding the approach, rigging, water clarity and presentation for permit in this part of Florida. As many of our wrecks are small, you should consider the tide and wind before you start your approach. Set up on the upcurrent side of the wreck and then drift through the area or anchor. I prefer to simply anchor or hold the boat with trolling motor, but when anchored, be sure…

A handy instrument on my boat is a temperature gauge. Most bottom machines these days have a thermometer built in to read the surface temperature of the water. Finding the right comfort zone for your target species is important. If you’re sweating, you may consider making the same move that the fish are making. If you’re offshore, you might head for wrecks or ledges where fish can get some shady, cooler water. If you’re inshore, you may duck under one of the bridges. Tampa Bay has four major bridges that span the bay to connect main lands. Others smaller bridges connect to barrier islands like Longboat Key, Anna Maria, Fort Desoto, and the beaches west of the Intracoastal Waterway all the way to Tarpon Springs. Each of these bridges offers…

For the bluewater fishermen, there will be an occasional dolphin flurry, particularly in 18 to 21 fathoms of water, and as Capt. Robert Johnson of Jodie Lynn Charters says, “There’s a wahoo on the ledge somewhere 365 days a year.” For the most part, however, the barracuda have taken over and you go through a lot of ballyhoo between every bite from a good fish. Sailfish are around all summer but they are as apt to be 5 miles off the beach as they are out 50 miles. If we have a replay of last summer, we can expect good numbers of school-size kingfish along the beaches and on party ground reefs. Ponte Vedra Grounds, Dunns Run, and East Fourteen all held good numbers of fish all last summer. For…

We all love those “highlight reel” moments common to top-water baits. And who doesn’t like seeing those reeds shudder as a big’n makes its move on your flipping bait? But tournament bass fishing isn’t always a pulse-pounding thrill ride; sometimes you just need to catch five keepers and call it a day. Such was the case for Debary’s John Cox, who recently topped a Bassmaster Southern Open on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga. You may recall us featuring Cox in this column last fall after he won FLW’s Forrest Wood Cup on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake; and same as before, his recent victory employed tactics with clear applicability to his home state. With Chickamauga’s fish moving shallow to spawn, Cox tempted his bites with an unweighted Texas-rigged Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Senko. This…

Early summer is gag grouper season in Florida. That means calm seas and decidedly uncalm moments in the back of the boat. Grouper fishing is a struggle, to say the least, and those structure-loving, street-wise gags deliver more than their share of anguish to fishermen. The rewards of successful engagement, however, are firm white fillets and bragging rights at the dock. No catch earns more accolades from Floridians than a plump gag hoisted out of the ice. One obstacle to landing gag grouper has been resolved for you by the calendar: As of June 1, gag is open all around the state, from our bays out to the deepest waters of the Gulf and Atlantic. Come July 1, gag will close in state waters (out to 9 miles from shore)…

Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day is held annually on the first Saturday after Mother’s Day (May 20, this year). The event, conceived by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) raises awareness about the threats posed by the invasive lionfish. A two-day festival in conjunction with Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day was slated for Pensacola, at Plaza de Luna, 900 S. Palafox Street. To participate in the tournament hosted by the Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition, visit the Lionfish World Championship webpage at LionfishWorldChampionship.com . Other events around Florida include the Panama City Beach Lion Tamer Tournament (Panama City Beach), Destin Lionfish Tournament, Sebastian Lionfish Fest, REEF Lionfish Workshop and Collection (Big Pine Key), Northeast Florida Lionfish Blast (Jacksonville) and the FSDA Lionfish Calcutta (St. Petersburg). Look…

There are many sports that can be pursued while diving; photography, spearfishing, exploration and observation, and collecting tropicals are just a few. Lobstering must be included near the top of the list as the staggering popularity of the “sportsman season” testifies. Sighting a ledge from under which many pairs of antennae protrude or glimpsing a nearly hidden giant in the shadowy depths of a recess always imparts a quickening of the pulse and a special surge of excitement. Underwater sounds also accompany the sport. The creatures creak out rusty protests when hands clamp firmly on their carapaces and often slap their tails repeatedly when placed in the bag. Florida lobsters or spiny crawfish, whichever name you prefer, abound in the waters around our state. Commercial lobstermen catch them in traps…

In the bluewater, the dolphin action continues with plenty of fish still in the area. You may have to go a bit farther, into deeper water to find them. It’s that time of the year again when you push off the dock at sunup and your shirt is already drenched in sweat and you know it’s not going to get any cooler. In July, you can expect the temperature to reach the high 90s, but with the humidity level it will feel like 100 degrees. The high temperature can make a full day out in the water almost unbearable. One of the best ways to deal with the heat is to leave as early as you can to maximize your time on the water. Also, try not to fish past…

Mangrove snapper, enjoyed by anglers of all skill levels, both inshore and offshore are voracious eaters, great fighters and excellent table fare. Targeting mangroves inshore, there’s one key component, structure. These snapper depend heavily on structure, not only for habitat, but for a feeding location as well. Deep docks and bridge pilings are hard to beat, especially if there is some good current flow. I prefer cement piling docks. These will have more growth on them, in turn meaning more food and fish. Often when moving around, you will see schools of fish hanging tight to the structure, even catch a couple when fishing for snook. Targeting mangroves inshore is a great way to get the kids and new anglers on the water and keep a rod bent. When presented…

For most of the year, Florida’s Big Bend Gulf coastline is pretty lonesome. And while fin fishing for spotted seatrout, redfish, tarpon, cobia and a slew of other inshore and offshore species tops the list of summertime targets for many anglers, there’s always a conflict at many of our ports this time of year. With a focus and ferocity that’s often compared to south Florida’s recreational lobster harvest, participants in the Big Bend’s scallop season often overwhelm the facilities at places like St. Marks, Keaton Beach, Steinhatchee, Horseshoe Beach, Crystal River, Homosassa and Bayport. Essentially, those crowds at boat ramps and marinas make it tough for those of us wanting to toss a line in the water rather than snorkel. However, there are options. One of the general requirements for…

It’s not too late for bottom fishermen to get into the game. Snapper season is open until July 9, plus weekends later in the year, and there is still time to catch some of these great eating fish. Red snapper is the most popular of the snapper family. In fact, the red snapper is one of the reasons Florida became so popular as a fishing destination. In the 1800s red snapper is what anglers came to Florida to catch, not gag grouper, bonefish or cobia. Red snapper are still here and just as good to eat as they have always been. Red snapper are basically reef fish that live around both natural and manmade structure. Larger fish seem to prefer areas with higher profile structure, but in relatively flat areas…

On May 6 at Hula Bay in St. Petersburg, three University of South Florida students turned their passion for fishing into a benefit to fight pediatric cancer. On their own, they organized the Fishing for the Fight tournament, which raised around $5,000 for Beat Nb (beatnb.org), a group dedicated to raising funds to wipe out neuroblastoma childhood cancer. Savannah Villette, of Land O’ Lakes, met Hunter Schoch (Stuart) and Garret Greca (Daytona) at USF’s St. Pete campus, where they lived near each other in the dorms. “Garret and Hunter met and became great friends basically because of fishing,” Savannah said. Running a tournament is tough, but organizing one from scratch is a monumental task that requires a lot of drive, organization, passion, and patience—not stereotypical traits of college freshmen. “It…