Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Florida Sportsman

During the ups and downs of the pandemic, while some folks were celebrating the return of restaurant fare, many of us Floridians were enjoying the best food money can’t buy. Long after the COVID risk expires, we'll still be tending our grills and toasting to our good health. In this issue, Tim Lewis, a veteran Central Florida hunter and noted writer, offers some great tips on preserving the flavor of wild game and fish in the Sunshine State. Even during our so-called “winter” months, heat and moisture are the nemesis of the subtropical locavore. Whether we’re field-dressing wild hog or packing venison or gamefish properly for freezing, there are certain steps Floridians should take to ensure our game and fish doesn’t turn out “gamey” and “fishy.” I’m always keen to…

GENERAL: Gate located at 20200 Tamiami Trail East, Naples, FL 34114. Open 8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days per year. Entry $5 per vehicle. Phone for ranger station, 239-394-3397; park manager, 239-394-1224. FISHING: Blackwater River is brackish and holds bass, snook, mangrove snapper, redfish, and the endangered sawfish. Freshwater license needed to keep freshwater fish; saltwater license, for saltwater fish. Captain Bill’s Bait and Tackle: 11530 Tamiami Trail E, in Naples (10 miles from state park entrance). CAMPING: $24 per night. Reserve through ReserveAmerica.com or 1-800-326-3521. Restrooms, showers, firewood, ice, dishwashing station, laundry, dump station; water and electric in all sites. KAYAK&  CANOE RENTAL: 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 7 days a week; 1-800-719-8160. Rates $25 for 2 hours, $10 for each additional hour; $40 per half day (4 hours); $60 for…

MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN sooner rather than later or recovery may never happen. Florida’s government leaders and federal partners such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have clear paths for reducing nutrient runoff—it’s hardly rocket science. But, it takes political will to re-engineer decades-old drainage systems built to accommodate agriculture and rapid development. It also takes top-down political initiative to set and enforce limits on nutrient pollution. MeanwhileFlorida citizens are making their own strides: >SWITCH from septic tanks to local sewer system, wherever hookups are possible. >CREATE a swale on your property that will hold rainwater longer, and allow for increased percolation into the ground. >DECREASE lawn fertilizer use, and don’t apply such products in wet season. Adhere to any bans in your area. Or, stop using them altogether.…

ATLANTIC State and adjacent federal waters, includes Lake Okeechobee and Kissimmee River (Yes, snook are sometimes caught on Lake O!) Season: Closed Dec. 15-Jan. 31 and June 1-Aug. 31 Slot Limit: Not less than 28” or more than 32” total length Daily Bag Limit: 1 per harvester per day; zero captain and crew for-hire limit Special regulations apply for this species when fishing in Biscayne National Park. Snook there must be counted toward the Park’s 10-fish aggregate bag limit. (There are several special limits now in effect in the Park, including some snapper length increases. Check before fishing there.) GULF, MONROE COUNTY, EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK State and adjacent federal waters Season: Closed Dec. 1-end of February and May 1-Aug. 31 NOTE: All state waters from the Hernando/Pasco county line through…

WE WELCOME your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at www.floridasportsman.com. SEND DIGITAL PICTURES , 600 KB to 1 MB in jpeg format. For smartphone photos, email the Actual Size—highest resolution. Images must not have appeared or been submitted elsewhere. Send photos to: photos@floridasportsman.com. INCLUDE NAMES of people pictured, hometowns, location of catch and any key details, such as weight of big catches.…

A Pair of Pompanos As we enter the tail end of our winter season, continued cooler weather and water temperatures usher in one of our best months for pompano. Arguably the pound-for-pound fighting champion of the Sunshine State, along with being excellent tablefare, there is no disputing why the pompano is so popular of a gamefish. Shallow shoals and sandbars are the best places to find pompano throughout the 10,000 Islands, but sometimes the fish are deep. Think hard bottom and you will be in the right neighborhood. The shoals around Gomez Point and Brush Island and the sandbars from Big Marco Pass south to the tip of Cape Romano are perennial hotspots. You can use the same rod-and-reel setups as you would for other inshore gamefish in our area,…

Thermal Thinking My records over the past 30 years or so say that January and February are the coldest months of the year here in the West Central region. Although the winter water temps are typically in the 60s, about 10 years ago I recorded water temperature of 46 degrees in Tampa Bay. The trend over the past few years is toward warmer winters, but it nevertheless pays to investigate the cold-water habits of the fish you seek; otherwise, one strong cold front could wreck your weekend plans. Start by remembering that fish’s metabolism is regulated by water temperature. Warmer parts of the day trigger their desire to eat. Certain stretches of water that are the warmest may also hold feeding fish. Artificially warmed plumes of water around power plant…

In Defense of February Idon’t like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, liver, or February. It’s not February’s fault, it’s just that big bass, and speckled perch don’t really keep me awake like wahoo and sailfish do. For the freshwater fishermen, February is prime time for two of the most sought-after fish we have. The biggest girl bass of the year will appear out of nowhere, in search of a place to lay her eggs, while big schools of speckled perch will be ganging up in the middle of area lakes and rivers in advance of migrating into beds of lily pads or eelgrass to set up their own maternity ward. Cold water means clear water in Northeast Florida, and the redfish will be schooled up in plain sight. Inshore saltwater anglers are…

21 Bahamas Targets for ’21 Every new year comes with fresh fishing hopes. This year, it seems the calendar couldn’t flip to ’21 fast enough, and now that we’re into the year it is time to start planning for a busy fishing future. Here is your list of 21 species that make a trip to the western Bahamas well worth the time and cost. Moving chronologically through the year, now is the time to get over there and target wahoo. The number of wahoo that can be encountered in Bahamian waters can be staggering, and they are relatively easy to target using the same techniques as our home Florida waters. If inshore fishing is your game, bonefish are abundant. During these early months of the year, you might encounter slightly…

For you Gulf of Mexico anglers, would you like a bag limit of four kingfish instead of three? What about a longer red snapper season, weekends-only? According to Ed Walker, Chairman of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Advisory Panel (AP), both questions came up to the respective advisory panels yet not a single person representing recreational anglers spoke up. Not one “hell yeah” when asked about the possibility of a weekends-only snapper season for the year. We can’t be silent if we want to be represented. The advisory panels for the Fishery Management Councils are our chance to be heard. Advisory panel members play an important role in the federal fishery management process by providing information and recommendations at the grassroots level. And Walker thinks council members are listening…

Binoculars and hunting. Two words that should be synonymous to the modern-day hunter, no matter where you are in the world. Some may have thoughts of sitting on mountain nob in the Montana backcountry and “glassing” a drainage basin for elk, when thinking about binoculars. But even in the swamp-and-scrub of Florida, a good pair of binos will help you absorb your surroundings more efficiently and ultimately make you a better hunter. Let’s go over the basics. There are two types of binoculars, roof prism style and porro prism style. The easiest way to tell the difference is the eye cup is in line with the objective lens on roof prism style, whereas porro prism is offset. This is due to their different build construction. Most hunting binoculars you will…

Florida anglers expect to deal with poor fishing conditions occasionally, and it normally involves things such as wind and water temperature. But increasingly, fishing suffers due to poor water quality. Water too muddy or too fresh—in the case of heavy runoff into salt waters—is one thing. But water chock full of algae, or HABs (Harmful Algal blooms), is quite another. It can lead to habitat destruction, kill the fish you hope to catch, and even make you feel sick. The incidence of HABs in Florida, and elsewhere in the U.S., is on the rise. During severe outbreaks, health departments have issued warnings, and state governors have declared emergencies. THE CAUSE The fuel for HABs in fresh or salt water is excess nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen to be exact. The blooms…

City-man’s life bristles with ordinances, signs, walls, well-worn paths and cover charges, but the urban fish goes wherever it likes in its parallel neighborhood, responding only to the ages-old pulses of Mother Nature. Bass spawn in shallows around February. In March bullheads spawn against the bank. In the lakes connected to flow, March calls longnose gar to forge up streams and stick their eggs on aquatic weeds. Nine-inch copperhead bluegills and shellcrackers congregate over their bedding communities all summer while specks, spawning late fall through early spring, vanish as if abducted by aliens. In central Florida, all this is going on while tourists wander theme parks, residents fret about traffic and developers push their stucco walls ever farther into the wild. Fact is, Orlando is one of the best metropolitan…

Great Catches on the Patches February is often the coolest month of our year, but don’t let the cooler temperatures keep you from enjoying some of the hottest inshore fishing the Florida Keys have to offer, specifically inshore. Yes, you heard it right, colder water can sometimes mean hot fishing! Throughout the summer and fall months, the waters off the Florida Keys are quite warm. The higher temperatures tend to push out a lot of the reef fish that inhabit the inshore nearby patches, but as the waters cool down, they return. In winter the patch reefs explode with a plethora of life: groupers, snappers, jacks and mackerels of many kinds can be found along with many other species. The reef patches and rocks can be found on both the…

Catch ’Em on the Run February is a grab bag month when it comes to fishing throughout the region. Mild temperatures and passing fronts are common and our winter fisheries are as good as they get. Water temperature plays a big role on the inshore fishing this month. Pompano are quick to move through with the tide and finding that right water temperature can be the key to catching your six-fish limit. The window from 67 to 73 degrees seems to be ideal in my experience. Like I said, they move a lot quicker than many folks think. I prefer a “run n’ gun” style approach while drifting and fishing Goofy jigs. Hit the cuts, troughs, holes and channels that fish tend to traverse. If you fish a spot for…

Let the Sun Show the Way This is the month when cold-blooded Big Bend spotted seatrout seek refuge from the cold Gulf waters. If it gets really “ice on the deck” cold, you can expect the trout to come inside rivers and creeks, stay lethargic and hole up in deep channels and holes. There, they huddle up and for the most part are reluctant to eat even the freshest and tastiest food offered them. I’ve said for many years that these cold stunned fish, mostly slot-sized, strike only when they’re hit in the head with a lure—not because they’re hungry, but as a reflex to attacking anglers. If you encounter these conditions, try the Steinhatchee River’s channel, Dallus Creek, the Suwannee River near the Gateway Marina canal, or the deep…

Mix It Up No question about it, February fishing can be a challenge. It’s always one of the colder months, which means the migratory species have moved to warmer haunts, and many of the popular reef fish seasons are closed—notably greater amberjack, gag grouper, gray triggerfish and red snapper. For anglers who don’t give up easily, there are other possibilities. Gray snapper and black seabass offer good alternatives, and these can be every bit as good on the table as their more famous cousins. Both of these fish relate to structure and live bottom and can sometimes be found inshore but the larger representatives of both species are usually found at depths of 20 feet and deeper. Some of the popular spots for both species are the artificial reefs distributed…

Lee Shepard was born in Palm Beach County along the Intra-coastal in Good Samaritan Hospital. “The joke has always been that they took me straight across the street and washed me off in the Lake Worth Lagoon,” he says. “Maybe it’s true, because this lagoon has been in my blood ever since.” FS: What early experiences helped build your passion for the lagoon? LS: My first trip to Peanut Island [just inside the Palm Beach Inlet] was when I was four years old. I never stopped going. Before I could drive, I had an 11-foot aluminum boat, and I would get dropped off Fridays to fish for sharks and camp until Sunday evening. Soon I moved up to a 13 Whaler to shuttle me out to those camping trips. Those…

TACTACAM REVEAL CELLULAR CAMERA Tactacam, specialized manufacturer of POV action cameras for sportsmen, now offers a feature-rich cellular trail camera at an attractive price point. (Cellular is in many ways superior to traditional trail cams—no need to spread your scent to check images.) The new Reveal by Tactacam is up and ready with a quick scan of the color LCD screen and takes less than two minutes to set up. Some of the Reveal features include ease of setup with the Tactacam Reveal app, detection of animals up to 96+ feet away, super detailed 24 MP images, and adjustable night illumination. The Tactacam Reveal offers monthly plans starting as low as $5 a month (USA: AT&T and Verizon), which will allow photos to be temporarily stored in the cloud and…

The FWC’s Fish Orlando program started in the 1990s with the rollout of the “Fab Five:” a list of five mid-sized water bodies with great fishing, public access, habitat enhancement and special regulations. Fish Orlando has also stocked ponds in urban areas and organized youth fishing events. Recently, coordinator Jim Sweatman says Fish Orlando has broadened to include management objectives for “Big Water Bodies,” such as Orlando’s Butler Chain, Conway Chain, and Johns Lake. The goal is to preserve, enhance and protect these waters. Johns Lake, for instance, west of Winter Garden on SR 50, achieved regional fame about a decade ago. The lake all but dried up in 2001, refilled in 2003, and Sweatman said there was boom in the bass fishery that peaked around 2011. Part of what…

February marks a turning point in the Florida hunting seasons. Duck hunting wrapped up January 31 statewide. By February 1, whitetail hunting has concluded in much of the state, with the exception of Zone D (Panhandle) and Zone B (basically the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Orlando). In both zones, FWC allows general gun antlered deer hunting through February 21 on private lands. Be mindful of your 5 per person annual bag limit—and don’t forget to report those late season harvests at MyFWC.com/HarvestReport, or by calling 888-486-8356 or through the Fish/ Hunt app. For many hunters, February is the time to be scouting for spring turkey season. Of course, delicious wild hog, which roam the entire state, is never far from the mind. There are a few public Wildlife Management…

More Sailfish Moving In Groups of Atlantic sailfish are sliding by our piece of the South Florida coast this month and sailfish season is about to kick into high gear! Cold fronts which may happen twice a week this time of year produce a perfect condition for the migrating sailfish. A 15- to 20-knot north to northeast wind pushing against a 3-knot north Gulf Stream current creates a nice 4-foot swell that the sailfish like to ride as they head south. Savvy anglers know that if they can position their boats in the right depth with the right live baits being fished under one or two kites, then the chances of multiple hookups are almost guaranteed. Since the Gulf Stream can move miles inshore or miles offshore, the fish may…

Clear Choices Catch-and-release anglers can take advantage of some of the clearest water of the year to sight-fish for redfish among the islands in Gasparilla Sound and in the Bull Bay area. This is a technical fishery which requires that anglers be sharp-eyed, stealthy, and equipped with shallow draft boats capable of operating in a foot of water. The rest of us can target redfish in tidal creeks all around Charlotte Harbor and in the Peace and Myakka rivers where all that’s needed is enough shrimp to outlast the hordes of small sheepshead and mangrove snapper that live alongside the redfish. Fishermen who want to catch the biggest possible fish in SW Florida’s estuaries during the winter months should target black drum. These stout fish commonly run 20 to 30…

Catch a Calm Spell, Try the Ocean Too often anglers give up on their wintertime fishing when cold fronts make conditions a bit uncomfortable. Truth is, there’s a host of possibilities for East Central Florida anglers if they’ll only keep an ear to the Weather Channel and then plan accordingly. Offshore folks must take advantage of the breaks between the fronts for the smaller “snake” kingfish in the 70- to 90-foot range, along with a variety of snapper, sea bass, amberjack and what few grouper are open. Pick friends with big boats because they definitely have the advantage. If we’re lucky to get a mild winter, pods of pogies, threadfins and other baits can materialize and they will pull cobia and kings around some of the reefs. We’ve had Februarys…

Weather Windows Key to Epic Offshore Bite February has always been one of my favorite times to fish. However, the older I get the harder February is to love. It gets downright cold. Might even snow, cold. The good side is the opportunities that are offered in the outdoors. Offshore fishing is the first thing that comes to my mind in February. Bottom fishing, bluewater fishing and fast-trolling for wahoo can all be a blast. The biggest challenge will be finding a decent window to make a trip. Seas can be big. For the newcomer, it may look nice near the beach when the winds blow from the north. I assure you the offshore buoys are working correctly. Ten miles out there, it gets rough! Bottom fishing can be red…