(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbour) Fireworks and fishing! Full moon, strong currents, high tides and summer temperatures will make for great holiday time fishing both inshore and offshore. The only issue for offshore will be the winds. Grouper, Snapper, Permit and other structure loving species should provide plenty of action offshore. Baits of choice will be large Pinfish, Grunts, Sardines, Threadfins and even shrimp. Threadfins are everywhere for anglers willing to cast a net.
Inshore; the Seatrout bite has pickup us a bit, but fish for them in the early morning hours before things heat up! Mangrove Snappers are easy targets right now as well. There are a few Spanish Mackerel around and they will all eat small summer shrimps.
Redfish and Snook are plentiful and will be found around islands on incoming tides. Otherwise good luck finding them in deeper holding areas on the flats. Large to Jumbo shrimp is the best bait for the Redfish but I suggest, Pilchards and Threadfins for Snook. Anglers using artificial presentations need to go early morning (regardless of tides) for better results.
Pictured from New Kensington, PA. is junior angler Nick Delp holding a nice Seatrout he caught using shrimp under a cork. His brother, Alex had fun angling several fish, including the Black Tip shark he is posing with. These young men were here with their parents, Jason and Teresa enjoying some free time prior to their wrestling competition in Orlando.
The Jones family from Sullivan, Missouri (my home state) had a blast catching nice Redfish. Pictured as a family are; Terry, Janice, Mackenzie and Kierstin. Mackenzie and Kierstin each caught the Redfish they are holding.
I am looking forward to fishing and boating over the next several days and suggest that boaters and anglers alike get out on the water and have some ‘salt-life’ fun! Wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July while we all celebrate living in this wonderful country and beautiful SW Florida!
‘Semper Fi’ to United States Marines. Thanks to all of the men and women of every armed force (past and present) who have served our country!
This is Captain Terry Fisher of Fish Face Charters wishing everyone ‘tight lines’. Charter information and/or bookings (on your vessel or mine) may be done by calling me at 239-357-6829 or by emailing me at [email protected]. More fishing articles, tips and information will be found on my website at www.fishfacecharters.com.
Last week, the EPA held the only public forum on its proposal to raise the ethanol levels in our fuel supply. It was held in the heart of corn country, and no surprise it was decidedly a one-sided debate.
Of the more than 250 testifying participants, all but a dozen were for increasing the amount of ethanol — even beyond the EPA’s proposal!
Our voices will be drowned out if we don’t take action. We need you to join our effort and contact the EPA. Tell them to protect boating and decrease the amount of ethanol in our fuel supply.
2,000 people in the boating industry have already commented through our link. Will you join them and make this a fair debate?
A new wave monitoring buoy (WMO ID 42098) was deployed on June 5, 2015, near the entrance to the Tampa Bay shipping channel, 10 miles west of Egmont Key. The addition of this buoy to the existing NOAA Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS) network builds upon the existing measurements of winds, currents and tides around the bay. Instruments on the Waverider buoy provide harbor pilots and other boating interests with real-time data on wave height, period and direction, critical information to enhance safety as the pilots move between the station and inbound or outbound ships. Recreational boaters will benefit as well from knowing wave conditions before venturing offshore. Data from this buoy along with a video and photos of the deployment are available at http://tbports.org.
Funded by the Greater Tampa Bay Marine Advisory Council – PORTS, Inc., the local operator for Tampa Bay PORTS, and operated in collaboration with the University of South Florida College of Marine Science and the US Army Corps of Engineers-funded Coastal Data Information Program at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (CDIP), the information also supports broader efforts to monitor and predict waves and shoreline change.
“While the primary beneficiaries of wave data from this buoy are the Tampa Bay Pilots and related shipping interests, the wave information is critical to studies of beach erosion and channel dredging” said Mark Luther, the head of local operations for Tampa Bay PORTS.
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbour) Fishing was ‘OK’ the last few days as we struggled through the 1/4 moon phase approaching a ‘new moon’. However all of next week should produce good opportunities as tides become higher during daylight hours providing strong currents, with good oxygenation. Tarpon are in good numbers just off of Captiva Beach just south of Redfish Pass. One may find them anywhere from the swim buoys to a few yards out. They are in Boca Grande Pass as well. The baits of choice are Threadfins, Crabs, Pinfish and Mullet. I suggest getting the baits down with a weight once the schools are spotted and moving toward the boat.
The Snook bite is excellent, especially when using live Pilchards. The problem is finding the Pilchards. Redfish seem to prefer large shrimp and cut baits such as, Pinfish or Ladyfish. Fish both species on the incoming or outgoing tides.
Seatrout and Spanish Mackerel will both be taken on grass and sand flats. I prefer to use a weighted jig head under a cork in 5 to 6 foot of water. It is hot in the afternoon and these fish are looking to ‘beat the heat’! Mangrove Snappers are around the mangroves, as their name suggest. Use a circle hook under a small cork loaded with a small shrimp. Regardless of the species, always try to fish on a moving tide as ‘slack’ tides normally do not produce as good.
Pictured here are two of my recent family charters featuring youthful, ‘junior’ anglers. Firstly, the Kudlac family; John, Lea, Natasha and Alexandra from Greenville, S. C. Natasha (12) is holding a small Jack Crevalle. Her sister Alexandra (8) is holding a big Spanish Mackerel she caught. Not to be outdone, Lea caught a beautiful Seatrout measuring over 20 inches.
The Boethel family; Carl, Christy, Colter and Owen of Belton, Texas. Colter (10), is holding one of many Seatrout he caught. His 8 year old brother, Owen is holding a 17 inch Seatrout he caught on a shrimp under a cork. Both boys had a good day of catching as did their mother, Christy who caught a 3 ft. shark! I am looking forward to taking both families out again next year!
This is Captain Terry Fisher wishing everyone tight lines! Charter information may be obtained on my website: www.fishfacecharters.com. Charters may be booked via email at [email protected] or by calling direct at 239-357-6829.
Selecting the correct propeller is a critical factor in maximizing your boat’s performance.Choosing the correct size and style of prop for your boat will keep the engine operating within its recommended rpm range and allow it to harness as much of its horsepower as possible.
Size DOES Matter:
Prop measurements have two key designators: diameter and pitch. Diameter is determined by doubling the distance from the center of the hub to the tip the prop’s blades. A good rule of thumb is smaller diameter props are typically used with smaller engines/boats, and larger diameter props are typically used with larger engines/ boats.
Pitch measures the forward movement of the propeller’s blade during one complete revolution. This is measured in inches. Lowering prop pitch will increase acceleration and thrust. Increasing prop pitch will make the boat go faster (provided the engine has enough power to keep the RPMs in the optimum operating range. If the engine doesn’t have enough power to run a higher pitch prop, performance suffers across the board and you could easily damage your engine. A good test is, if the prop lets your engine operate at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) within its correct rpm range, you’ve got a good prop fit.
Number of Blades. How it adds up.
For years, boaters have debated the question of 4-blade propellers versus 3-blade versions. (The traditional argument is that 4-blade props are slow and 3-blade props are
fast.) Today, with higher fuel prices and tighter economic times, boaters are taking a second look at this debate. Speed is now a much smaller part of the boating equation. In turn, practical, real-world performance is the name of the game for most people. So, which props should you be using, 4-blade or 3-blade? Traditionally, the idea that 4-blades were slower than 3-blades was true to some extent. But what you need to keep in mind is that many of those 4-blade props were not designed with speed in mind. Instead, the earliest designs were intended to cure handling issues such as ventilation, cornering blowout, motor elevation requirements, and hole shot issues. Without many options in blade design, and very few of them truly intended to be particularly fast, the 4-blade got branded as slow, while their other performance benefits were largely dismissed.
In contrast, today’s 4-blade propellers have evolved into both all-purpose and highly specialized designs. This new generation of props can be tailored to not only address those traditional handling issues, but can also be tailored to improve a boat’s performance range, which can, in some cases, include speed.
Before making a choice, determining your performance priorities will help you determine your prop choice.
Cupped Boat Propellers
Special curved trailing edges enable the prop to maintain performance at higher trim levels and in tight corners. Cupped boat props allow most boats to achieve a higher top-end speed or at least the same speed at a lower engine RPM. They also promote more efficient fuel consumption.
Material is not immaterial.
Propellers can be made of composite, aluminum, and stainless steel. Composite boat props offer good performance, are durable, and inexpensive. They also offer some protection for your lower unit during a prop strike becoming something of a sacrificial lamb. Aluminum props are the most common and are suitable for the widest range of applications since there are so many models and styles available. Stainless steel props offer the highest performance—due to their lack of flex—and best durability.
The chart below is a handy comparison:
Spare yourself the pain…carry a spare.
Finally, always have an extra propeller on board with tools allowing you to change it out. If you have a prop strike or spin out a hub, you will only be delayed a few minutes and not miss out on any for or worse—be stranded.
Southwest Florida Yacht Club (SFYC) had three cruises in May – our traditional cruise to South Seas Island Resort for Mother’s Day weekend, a mid-week cruise to Tween Waters, and a two week cruise to Tarpon Springs. The following are highlights from the Mother’s Day and Tarpon Springs cruises.
The theme for this year’s Mother’s Day Cruise, led by Alina & Harvey Steele and Debbie & Bill Hummer was “All Relaxation”. The cruisers, fifteen boats total, arrived on Friday and were greeted with a welcome drink of “Hummer’s Famous White Sangria”. In fact, much of Friday saw folks chatting on the aft deck of the Lorelei, enjoying cheese and crackers with an unending supply of sangria. Friday evening, the group took the South Seas trolley down to Doc Ford’s where we had a lively dinner in a private dining room.
The cruise leaders provided a continental breakfast on Saturday morning including bagels, fruit and freshly baked muffins. During the day, everyone pursued their own interests, such as biking, shopping, fishing, dinghy cruising, and swimming. At some point, most everyone had a chance to see “Nick”, the resident marina dolphin, up close. Nick, who is apparently so-named for the scars on his pectoral fin, hunts mullet in the shallow marina waters along the sea wall. The hot and lazy day resolved into a warm and pleasant evening with the requisite cocktail hour, which included light snacks and a selection of wines, served in the Chart Room adjacent to the docks. Dinner was beach-casual at the Sunset Beach Grill, where several people played Caribbean Hook & Ring Toss; the more expert players providing coaching for some vacationing children. After dinner, everyone watched the sun set over the Gulf and several reported seeing the “green flash”!
The Mother’s Day Breakfast in the Chart Room started with Mimosas and Bloody Marys. The menu included egg casseroles, fruit, breads, and Crepes Suzette. Apparently well fed and well rested, the Cruisers departed for home or their next destination late morning in perfect weather.
The Tarpon Springs cruise was fourteen days and stopped at five marinas – Sarasota Yacht Club, Clearwater Yacht Club, Turtle Cove Marina in Tarpon Springs, Club Treasure Island, and Longboat Key Club Moorings in Sarasota.
The group had a wonderful dinner at Sarasota YC. The next day they rode their bikes over to Lido Beach and had a relaxing lunch at the Lido Resort. Back at the Sarasota YC, everyone enjoyed hanging out in their beautiful pool.
The fleet arrived at Clearwater YC in time to enjoy their wonderful Sunday Brunch. The next morning the ladies severely beat the guys in a game of miniature golf. In the afternoon, everyone lounged at the pool and ordered pizza for dinner. The next day the ladies did some serious shopping and then everyone had a delicious dinner at the YC. As is common on several of our cruises, some members bring their “land yachts” and connect with part of the cruise. In this case, the Burgers drove up and joined the cruisers for the next 5 days.
In Tarpon Springs we had a great seafood dinner at Rusty Bellies Restaurant, which was a short walk from Turtle Cove Marina. The next day, we drove to Bonefish Grill in Tampa, where we met up with the Blackfords and the Steeles, and after dinner everyone went to Zoominations at the Lawry Zoo to see the beautiful Chinese Luminaries. The following day we went to the Tarpon Springs YC for a delicious lunch. Following lunch the group went to the Castle Winery for a wine tasting and informative lecture on “How to be a Wine Snob”. It was a lot of fun and we all left with plenty of good wine. Later that night we had appetizers and cocktails at the Turtle Cove Clubhouse and celebrated Len Burger’s birthday with a big cake. On our last day in Tarpon Springs, everyone walked to the sponge docks and did some more shopping followed by a wonderful dinner at Mama’s Restaurant. One of the highlights was several of our guys dancing with the “Belly Dancer”!
At Club Treasure Island we enjoyed their Sunday Brunch in their beautiful Club House. On Memorial Day we rode the bus to Seahorse Restaurant for breakfast and then rode the bus to John’s Pass for a little more shopping.
At the Longboat Key Club Moorings, we had dinner at the Portofino Restaurant after a restful day of lounging in the pool and hot tub. The Ellis’ daughter and family arrived from the UK and enjoyed the pool/beach at the resort. The next day the group went to St. Armand’s Circle and stayed for dinner. The last day, after spending the day at the beach, everyone enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Chart House Restaurant. All in all it was a very relaxing cruise and the weather totally co-operated. Everyone had a great trip.
SFYC is a very active yacht club with more than 30 scheduled cruises per year ranging from 3 days/2 nights to 3-4 weeks in length. Upcoming cruises over the summer include Naples Boat Club, Palm Island, Snook Bight, South Seas, and Legacy Harbour. SFYC also has on average two social functions per month, many at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers.
If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise to meet us and see what we’re about, or to arrange to attend one of our monthly meetings, please contact our Fleet Captain, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671-8887 or [email protected]. Much more information, including our cruise schedule, is also available on our website www.southwestfloridayachtclub.com. You can also visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SouthwestFloridaYachtClub.
Led by Jon Lynch and Elise Vannoy on Desperado, a flotilla of 10 boats cruised up the ICW to a club favorite destination, Palm Island Marina. Under sunny skies and seas that were surprisingly calm and slick as glass, many boats made record time. Many boaters voiced their surprise at the number of dolphins spotted during the trip. Joining in the fun were Commodore Lee Jetton and Brenda Butler on Moonlighter, Vice Commodore John and Pati Queen on Semper Paratus, Doug and Michelle Rhees on LunaSea, Phil and Lin Quick on Sunkissed, Bob and Carol Peterson on CR Side, Joe and Kelli Miller on B Mine, John and Mary Brehm on Panacea, Jeff and Joanne Ziemer on Still Crazy, and last but not least, Jim and Rear Commodore Edie Limbright made their maiden voyage on Princess, their recently purchased Viking.
Arriving by car were Brenda and Mike Stewart as well as Mac & Bobbie McEwen. Most of the boaters gathered at Leverock’s for lunch on Tuesday then adjourned to the pool or games under the pavilion shade which made for a leisurely afternoon. Gathering for our traditional happy hour, cruising tales and mechanical advice freely flowed. With heavy hors d’ouevres supplied by each of the boats made for a sumptuous buffet.
Wednesday proved to be another perfectly sunny day enticing many to visit the beach and have a bite of lunch at Rumrunners, take a walk, float and chat in the pool or play cards. As we enjoyed our happy hour, all members participated in two brainteasers. Winners of the “Name that Boat” and “Flying Colors” quizzes were Jettons and Ziemers. Congratulations! Mike Stewart demonstrated his Grill Master credentials by cooking 26 burgers to perfection. Many thanks to Edie Limbright for a wonderful Spinach Salad, Michelle Rhees and Brenda Stewart for luscious desserts. After dinner, crews toured Jim and Edie Limbright’s new “Princess”.
On Thursday, a continental breakfast of berries and sweet rolls started the morning followed by a polite game of keep away which quickly devolved into a rowdy dunking session providing entertainment for onlookers and lots of laughs for participants. Beach goers collected perfect and imperfect shells as well as sharks teeth. Since it was Red Nose Day, each couple posed with a red nose. During happy hour, crews chatted and revealed items remaining on our “bucket lists”, then headed to Leverock’s for a group dinner full of laughter, stories and good company.
Friday morning boats departed Palm Island Marina as a good time was had by all.
The Cape Coral Cruise Club is open to new members who own a boat with overnight accommodations and reside in the Cape Coral / Ft. Myers area. For membership information please contact Phil Kryger at 239-541-0236. View a short picture video of recent Club activities and read additional Club information on its website, www.c-c-c-c.org Like us on Facebook.
(Ft. Myers Beach to Charlotte Harbor) Summer is here and the fishing has been fair. This week brings forward a ‘full’ moon phase offering high tide levels and access to remote areas not accessible to many anglers during ‘mid-moon’ phases. Hopefully, the currents will provide more oxygen and improve the ‘bite’. Threadfin’s are fairly plentiful and are best for Snook and Tarpon. Unfortunately, ‘white’ bait fishes have been scarce.
Therefore, the baits of choice for Redfish, other than artificial presentations, will be big shrimps, cut Pinfish and crabs. Redfish are showing up more and more and with the early hot temperatures, I expect the big bull Redfish to come in from the gulf sooner than later this year. Seatrout have been hard to find with any size to them. Look for them to hold up in deeper holes during the hot days of the week and use small shrimps to insure lots of action from the species. Tarpon are still in the area, mostly off the beaches and in Boca Grande Pass. Crabs seem to be the most effective bait.
Offshore should be good so long as the weather permits. Be safe and try to get in early to mid-afternoon ahead of the storms. Inshore boaters and anglers should be cautious as well.
Over the last few months I have had great pleasure to take out several ‘Junior’ anglers. Pictured here from Lakeville, MN. is Aidan Andre (9) holding just one of many fish he caught while fishing Pine Island Sound. Great going Aidan!
Six (6) year old, Kinley Gillihan of Kansas City, Missouri is pictured with a nice Seatrout she caught. Kinley also caught a shark all by herself. She is a terrific future ‘lady’ angler!
The Jacobs Family from St. Charles, Missouri (once my home town area), accompanied me on a charter. Lee (11) is holding a Jack Crevalle he caught. His brother Austin (9), is pictured with a nice Seatrout. Both boys caught their share of fish and are destined to be ‘big time’ anglers! The family (Karen, Todd, Lee and Austin) are pictured together after a wonderful afternoon on the water. Thank you Karen and Todd. I enjoyed the time we had together!
Until the next ‘report’; this is Captain Terry Fisher wishing everyone tight lines and safe boating. Charter information may be obtained by calling me at 239-357-6829 or emailing me at fishfacecharters.com. More articles and information may be found on my website at www.fishfacecharters.com
Southwest Florida Yacht Club (SFYC) just returned from their bi-annual Touch of Class & Swamp Grass cruise led by Ed and Shirley Hatter and Rick and Lindsey Scheinert. This is the fourth time for this popular 7 day cruise and it traveled the back waters at high tide to Marco Island, Goodland, Everglades City and Naples, with thirteen boats ranging in size from 35 ft. to 53 ft. This cruise has several important traditions, including casual biking around Marco Island and dinner at the Marco Island Yacht Club, Sunday afternoon at Stan’s Idle Hour in Goodland, and a couple of days at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City. However, the highlight of the cruise is always the intricately staged party called “The Event” and the 2015 Event of Al Capone’s 1920’s Speakeasy, Tattoo, did not disappoint.
Prior to leaving, participants drew their assigned characters from a hat, including Al Capone, his wife Mae, gangsters, Chicago cops, bathing suit beauties, flappers, film stars, directors, etc. The lovely pool deck at the Marco Island Marina was transformed into the Speakeasy, Tattoo. Attendees arrived in costume and, after assuring the coppers outside that they were indeed attending a “family picnic”
proceeded to the speakeasy door, complete with sliding peephole, where they provided the secret password to the gangster-cum-bouncer to gain entrance. Stepping back in time and into character, the attendees converged at Al Capone’s 1920’s Speakeasy. Pictures were taken through an old fashioned camera box as scripts and background materials were given for each character so they could play their role for the evening.
The film director presumably was there to hobnob with the rich and famous, including Chicago mayor Big Bill Thompson and his wife, the illustrious Clara Bow and, of course, his chief benefactor, Big Al himself. Al, who repeatedly claimed “I’m just a businessman, giving the people what they want. All I do is satisfy a public demand.”, had a busy evening juggling his wife, mistresses (current and former), employees, rivals, the press and cops. During the 1-1/2 hour cosmopolitan cocktail party the cops raided the speakeasy, arresting old “Scarface”.
An investigation by the cub reporter from the Sun Times ensued to determine who was the rat leaking information about Al’s business dealings. Who was responsible for that arrest? Was it Al’s straight-laced wife Mae, who made an unexpected appearance to create a scene with Al’s secretary and current mistress? Was it Bugs Moran, a rival unhappy about the “Valentine” Big Al had sent him? Was it Al’s number one gangster who seemed a bit too cozy with Bugs despite his promise to help Bugs “go swimming”?
No, the cub reporter uncovered the truth: one of the beautiful actresses claimed that she contracted “the Big S” from Big Al and, intent on revenge, was passing information to the authorities. But after all palms were sufficiently greased, Chicago’s finest released Big Al and joined the party, where the cigarette girl and the flower lady were helping everyone part with their money. After the Cosmopolitans and Prosecco flowed, everyone sat down to a 1920’s themed dinner followed with champagne toasting Mr. Capone’s return. All became friends again. In other words, it was just another ordinary night at Big Al’s Tattoo Speakeasy. A fun evening ended with a few people in the pool – some willingly, some not…some fully clothed, some not so much. Well, it was really hot!
Next stop was Sunday at Stan’s in Goodland (on the southern tip of Marco) on the Marco River. This is always an interesting mix of people doing the buzzard lope after imbibing in a few buzzard drinks. Their motto in Goodland, “A Drinking Community with a Fishing Problem”. Those who had not had enough to eat at Stan’s went to “Lil Bar” before calling it a night. The morning we found smooth seas as our group of thirteen boats headed to Everglades City arriving at the historical Rod & Gun Club, via the Barron River. The Community was developed by Barron Collier during the early 1920’s as a company town supporting the workers building the final 75 miles of the Tamiami Trail linking the coasts. Our guide, Martha, from The Museum of the Everglades gave us a two hour walking tour detailing the history of Everglades City from inception to the present time. It was most interesting and informative.
While in Everglades City we had excellent dinners at the Rod & Gun Club and Camillia Street Grill. Both were preceded by cocktail gatherings. The first evening involved “Who Am I”, each person wrote an event, that perhaps even their spouse may not have known, and we guessed who it could be. Afterwards we certainly knew each other a whole lot better. The next morning we had our traditional dockside breakfast of eggs to order, waffles, sausages, fruit and coffee.
That evening was the traditional “Redneck Party” featuring an array of canned delectables such as spam, smoked oysters, sardines, and spray cheese, all served on the lovely fish cleaning station, artfully covered with newspapers. And how does one do a “canned” desert? Well, a squirt of whipped cream directly in the mouth of course! Everyone brought their favorite redneck jokes to share and came dressed in their interpretation of a “redneck” – which left a lot of room for creativity as you can see in the photo below.
After a night of windy downpours the sun was out. Because the forecast was for high winds and even more the next day, most of the boaters decided to head directly home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral. As high tide approached we left and traveled in pairs. A few boaters decided it was too rough and went to Naples for a couple of days until the winds died down. They enjoyed the pool and had a fine dinner at Mangrove Cafe.
SFYC is a very active yacht club with more than 30 scheduled cruises per year ranging from 3 days/2 nights to 3-4 weeks in length, plus monthly lunch outings that are all accessible by boat. In the past month, in addition to the Touch of Class / Swamp Grass cruise, we have been to Snook Bight, Naples Sailing & Yacht Club, Legacy Harbour, and our annual Mother’s Day cruise to South Seas Island Resort. We also have on average two social functions per month, many at our home base, The Marina at Edison Ford/Pincher’s in Fort Myers.
If you are interested in participating in a trial cruise to meet us and see what we’re about, or to arrange to attend one of our monthly meetings, please contact our Fleet Captain, Harvey Steele, at (239) 671- 8887 or [email protected]. Much more information is also available on our website www.southwestfloridayachtclub.com.
