For those of you who do not wish to travel far for your fish, the Reds are in good numbers around Hog Island. Poppin corks with a shrimp, popped slowly near the mangroves about four feet in front of the branches, is very effective. Also, try using a shrimp with a 1/8 ounce rockpport head, gold or pink, 1/2 or 2/0 hook tossed just under the mangroves. Let it sit for a minute and then lift your rod and move the bait 6 inches or so and then wait again.
Of course the main bait of choice is white bait if you can find any. Try either free lined or Redfish Sunday style, which is hooking the bait fish across the back so it is on its side on the bottom. The white bait is hard to find but there is some on the markers. The most bait is found by Jug Creek out to Devil Fish and along the I.C.W.
Our cruising program was full steam ahead in February and March with a combined six cruises! In February we had our Valentine’s Day Fleet-In at our home base, Pincher’s / The Marina at Edison Ford in Fort Myers and a cruise to Tween Waters. The Fleet-In coincided with our annual Valentine’s Dinner Dance where everyone enjoyed a great meal and dancing to live music. The Tween Waters cruise, always a favorite, featured a sand sculpting contest amongst teams of cruisers. There were four unique creations with the Mermaid (shown below) winning the prize.
March featured four back-to-back-to-back-to-back cruises to Pink Shell, Cape Harbour, South Seas, and Boca Grande. This concept allows our cruisers to attend one cruise, all four cruises, or any combination thereof and lets them optimize their time on the water.
Each cruise had unique activities to offer. At Pink Shell we had dinner at a waterfront restaurant, attended the Shrimp Fest, and had a potluck dinner complete with a large game of Left, Right, Center.
Cape Harbour was all about relaxing and enjoying the shops and restaurants. South Seas featured a Saint Patrick’s Day theme and everyone enjoyed the party, the pools, and great company. Finally, the Boca Grande cruise was timed for the annual Cart Parade, as well as dinner and shopping in town.
If cruising is one of your passions, come check us out at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers. If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise or attending one of our monthly meetings to see what we’re about, please contact our Vice-Commodore, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671-8887 or [email protected].
Spring is here and so are ‘Gator’ trout, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel and big Snook. Pictured here is Jack Roberts (10), of Blaine, Minnesota, posing with two of the three species mentioned. His Pompano was impressive to say the least. The big Seatrout he is holding is one of many he caught on a charter with me during a recent visit to Cape Coral. Jack mixed it up this year catching Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel and Jack Crevalle on artificial presentations as well as suspending shrimps under a cork. His attire is evidence of his commitment to becoming a professional angler. Great job Jack!
Mr. Larry Olson of Bonita Springs is pictured with his ‘Gator’ trout caught on jig head (with live shrimp), suspended under a cork just off the flats around Cabbage Key. Larry and Liza Lufkin had a great outing catching more than their share of big trout and Spanish Mackerel.
Snook season is open and there are plenty for the taking. Craig Miklus of Seymour, Ct. had the pleasure of angling a 32” Snook caught just off a small ‘Key’ in northern Pine Island Sound. Craig fishes all over the world and has landed several nice fighting game fish. He will attest that a big Snook will make you work for a successful landing on light tackle. He caught this ‘slot’ fish using a big shrimp (‘tail’ hooked) on a weighted jig head placed on the bottom of the seabed, just off structure and at the very top of an incoming tide. Good going Craig!
Virtually every charter during the last couple of weeks has produced big Seatrout. The basic method has been ‘shrimps suspended under a cork’, over the grass flats in around 4 to 5 foot of water. Look for ‘milky’ green water and use a weighted jig head to keep the bait down.
Most of my fishing has been up on the northern end of Pine Island Sound due to the water conditions around Punta Rassa and St. James city. I look to continue this strategy until the water clears up a bit on the southern end of Pine Island Sound. Water temperatures are on the rise and I am looking for a Tarpon migration soon. A few have been caught and a number of them reported.
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters. Charter information may be obtained at www.fishfacecharters.com or by emailing me at [email protected] I am easily reached via phone at 239-357-6829.
In case you haven’t been keeping up on the latest, the conditions caused by the discharged water from Lake Okeechobee (Lake O) are improving. During the early stages, the situation had been causing a stir among fishermen and boaters.
The water in question is from Lake Okeechobee; the large, inland lake in the center of southern Florida. Lake O is experiencing its highest water levels in nearly 100 years thanks to heavy rainfall. With water reaching a foot above normal, concerns mounted that the added water was stressing the lake’s aging dike. The decision was then made to lower the lake level by draining and routing the water to Florida’s coasts.
This is where the problem starts.
Lake O’s waters contain an assortment of chemicals, fertilizers, and cattle manure. This was bad enough, however, at least the pollution was contained to the lake. Now it has flowed into Florida’s coastal areas via local river ways.
Short term effects
The lake’s untreated water contains chemicals and fertilizers that are harmful to local plant and animal life. Plus, the fertilizers and chemicals found in the water have been known to cause algae blooms which, in turn, are known to poison shellfish—hence affecting every member of the marine food chain. This, ultimately, affects fishing—which is how many of us enjoy our boating.
The last time a significant water discharge occurred here was in 2013. Locals dubbed the tourist season the “lost summer,” reflecting the negative impact it had to boating and tourism as a result of the polluted coastal water. While no numbers are known relative to boating specifically, a 2015 study commissioned by the trade association FloridaRealtors, found that during the “lost summer,” aggregate real estate value fell by a half billion dollars, as potential buyers were reluctant to invest in property that was near polluted water.
Long term fix
The ecosystem is the long term concern. Sea grass, oysters and other ‘filters of the sea’ are being affected by this toxic, fresh water. What affects them will, ultimately, affect every other member of the marine ecosystem. One way to prevent this is to return the lake’s overflow to its more natural course.
Before decades of draining to accommodate increased farming and development, Lake Okeechobee’s water once naturally flowed over its southern banks south to replenish the Everglades. Now, South Florida’s flood-control system holds water in the lake, where it can be used for irrigation and to supplement community supplies. When water levels rise too high, lake water gets redirected out to sea.
One problem is that the lake fills up about three times faster than the Army Corps of Engineers can drain it. The rising lake level has already caused increased seeping of water through the dike’s southern end but no signs of erosion or other damage have occurred, according to the Army Corps. The dike inspections will increase in frequency as the water level rises, but if the heavy rain and ‘El Niño’ weather patterns continue into the spring, the lake draining to the coasts could continue for months. The lake’s 70-year-old dike is undergoing a rehab that could eventually enable it to hold more water, but this is a multi-decade process.
Fort Myers Mayor, Randy Henderson, is interviewed as protesters call for the purchase of the land along the lake’s southern banks to get a long term Everglades restoration plan rolling.
Everglades restoration is widely seen as the long-term alternative to draining lake water to the coasts. Environmental advocates have urged state and federal governments to accelerate funding for reservoirs and water-treatment areas to move more lake water south. These facilities would allow the discharged water to be treated, then sent south to areas that are starving for fresh water instead of dumping untreated water into the sea.
Tourists and locals are regularly posting pictures of the dirty water on social media, hoping to raise awareness, and a number of organizations have had protests and attempted to rally the support of their political leaders toward this end. The state of Florida has the power to solve these water quality issues by using Amendment 1 tax dollars to purchase land south of Lake Okeechobee to store, treat and route water south to the Everglades. Protesters fear state legislators will ‘run the clock out’ on this crucial step (the US Sugar land purchase option expires in 2020), which we may never get a chance to purchase again. It is seen a pivotal step to saving our estuaries, economy and the boating lifestyle we all enjoy. We encourage you to pay attention to this issue as it progresses—there is a lot at stake.
