Bluefins Spotted off Miami
Break out the 130s: The big boys reported back in town.

A remarkable sighting off Miami this week: Last Saturday, a fisherman reported seeing giant bluefin tuna feeding on schoolie dolphin.

“While putting along for dolphin off Fowey, I saw tuna that looked like a VW bug slamming schoolies five yards from my boat,” wrote a Fishing Forum member who identifies himself as Snappergitter. “My boat is 19 feet—these beasts were comparable in size.

“One of them launched a schoolie 20 feet in the air and just before it hit the water he exploded and inhaled it. The sheer size of these fish was crazy.”

Between the late 1950s and late 1960s, before commercial overfishing decimated the schools, bluefin tuna made regular—if unpredictable--spring appearances along the Dade coast, said Florida Sportsman Senior Editor Vic Dunaway.

“Annual runs of the huge fish were dependable back then in the Gulf Stream along the western edge of the Bahamas Bank,” said Dunaway, “and occasionally a school of the giants would somehow get sidetracked to Florida. A common outcome was that one or more charterboats would have all their sailfish baits swallowed at once, and all their reels stripped of line before the stunned crew could react.”

Dunaway recalled only one angler who deliberately targeted and caught a giant bluefin on the Florida side of the Stream.

“That was Junior Ellis, who for many years operated a popular bait and tackle shop near the Chamber of Commerce docks in Miami Beach. One spring day in the late 1960s, when excited reports of wild strikes and ruined tackle began crackling over his marine radio, Junior at once realized what was happening. Without hesitation he chartered one of the boats at his next-door dock, broke out heavy tackle, and succeeded in capturing one of the giants.”

On the opposite side of the Stream, there were solid bluefin tuna runs off Bimini and Cat Cay, and occasional appearances in other corners of the Bahamas. Though the runs have slowed to a trickle, each year brings rumors of fish sightings and eye-popping catches.

Just days ago—on April 29—a boat fishing the South Abaco leg of the Bahamas Billfish Championship scaled a 611-pound bluefin.

“Speedy” Takedown
Sharp FWC officer busts illegal meth lab.

A check of suspicious activity in Santa Rosa County--trespass and illegal hunting--on private lands turned into a major bust for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer Jason Marlow. After apprehanding the offender, a 12-year-old boy with numerous trespass and illegal hunting complaints on his record, Marlow questioned the youngster on where he obtained the firearm—a .22 caliber rifle.

The response was “from his uncle” who lived on the adjoining property. Marlow then went to the uncle’s trailer to speak with him. That’s when the officer’s keen powers of observation came into play.

Marlow observed three men, a pistol on the kitchen table and an operating meth lab inside the structure. He arrested the occupants and when the uncle pedaled up on a bicycle, apprehended him, too.

Santa Rosa narcotics officers filed 11 misdemeanor and 11 felony charges on the suspects as a result of Marlow’s sharp law enforcement work. Two of the people inside the trailer including a 15-year-old male said they were only there to smoke methamphetamine.

Take a Soldier Fishing Tournament May 15
Organizer seeking more boats to take military personnel fishing.

Here’s your opportunity to say thanks to the men and women in uniform. Organizers of the Take a Soldier Fishing Tournament are looking for boat owners who would like to volunteer their boats on Saturday, May 15 to take service personnel fishing for a day.

Anglers will be matched up with boats at a captains’ meeting May 14 at Gator’s on the Pass (Johns Pass) in St. Petersburg Beach. Registration will be free provided there are active duty military personnel fishing on the boat. Prizes will be awarded for inshore and offshore divisions. Non-boaters can also participate as sponsors, or by simply sending in a check to Sisco Foods, c/o DB Marine, 4539 Hunting Trail, Lake Worth, Florida 33467 to defray the cost of food. Write “Soldier Fishing” on the check.

For more information, contact Bill Semple at dbteam@mindspring.com, www.takeasoldierfishing.com, or the Regional Forums at this Web site.

Alligator License Change
The FWC has switched to first-come, first served.

Those who hunt alligators each autumn should know that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has changed its application procedures. A first-come, first-served basis will replace the random drawing system used last year.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on July 12, hunters can apply for permits using various means. This includes stopping at a county tax collector’s office, authorized sporting goods stores or other retailers that sell hunting or fishing licenses. Gator hunters can also apply online at www.wildlifelicense.com/fl or by calling toll free at (888)846-8356 or (888)-347-4356.

“The best way to apply is through the Internet,” says Harry Dutton, head of the FWC’s Alligator Management Section. “By doing so, you’ll avoid lines and any other delays.”

The FWC says approximately 3,000 permits will be available. Each hunter can take two alligators from a designated area during the specific season, which lasts from Sept. 1 through Oct. 8. Each hunter will receive only one permit (license), and can list up to five areas he would like to hunt. Cost for the license isn’t cheap. It’s a minimum of $271.50 for Florida residents, and at least $1,001.50 for non-residents.

Shrimper Found Alive
Lucky shrimper plucked from Gulf unconscious in 69-degree water.

Timothy Futch, 44, of Horseshoe Beach, was flown to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida on Wednesday morning after he was found floating unconscious in the Gulf of Mexico about five miles offshore of this small coastal community. Medics expect him to recover.

Futch’s shrimpboat Mary Pickett was found in gear, but it had run aground without Futch aboard. The boat had been set on autopilot. A friend, Teddy Knight, had arranged to come out in a small boat to pick up Futch that evening, since the tide was too low for the bigger shrimpboat to make port for the night. When no one was found aboard, Knight summoned help.

A quick search team made up of neighbors and friends deduced that the shrimpboat had run a straight course while on autopilot, and they simply had to search in the opposite direction that the shrimpboat was pointing. As luck would have it, they found the floating shrimper three miles away, almost running over him at sunset. In the 69 degree water, the unconscious man didn’t have much time left. He had a big knot on his head, and was somehow wrapped up in three crab buoys, which kept him afloat. He was also wearing foul weather gear, which probably retained some body heat.

Even so, Futch didn’t wake up until he was in the hospital. It’s likely that if another 30 minutes had gone by, hypothermia would have proved fatal.