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| You are Here: | Home >> News Headlines >> Online Casts - October 15, 2004 | | |
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Online Casts - October 15, 2004
Bad Water Plagues Southwest Coast October is historically a top time to catch schooling redfish in Pine Island Sound and Charlotte Harbor, on Florida’s southwest Gulf coast. But the lingering and cumulative effects of hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne have thrown some curves at inshore fishermen. Low-salinity water, stained with rotting vegetation, has pushed redfish schools some five to six miles off Captiva Island, according to Capt. Scott Hughes of Blackwater Fishing Charters in Punta Gorda. Anglers willing to put in the time running and looking for birds have encountered hungry pods of breeder-size redfish, often hanging below blue runner schools. Inshore, Hughes reports, the fishing has been limited to spotty bites with resident rat reds, mostly in the 18- to 22-inch range. Livies and chunks of cutbait under the mangroves have been somewhat productive on higher tides. One Fort Myers angler reported catching 50 slot-size reds after chumming heavily on a grassy dropoff, dolling out a mixture of cut- and live pinfish. On a recent trip to Pine Island Sound, Florida Sportsman staffers caught a few small reds and snook on jigs, but overall experienced very slow fishing. Ecological recovery for this estuarine system—particularly in the area of Boca Grande—may take a number of weeks, due to the double-whammy of fresh water and ravaged mangroves. The good news was that fishing pressure has been light, and the fish you find you may find for yourselves. Check out Capt. Ron Kowalyk’s Southwest 4Cast for the latest predictions on fishing this area. Restored Reef Picked for Underwater Marker
This past summer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) divers set up the nation’s first underwater geodetic marker, at Molasses Reef off Key Largo. The marker sets atop a major ship grounding site, where many tons of coral were plowed up and destroyed in 1984. The marker will now serve as a navigational aid to boaters and divers, while allowing researchers to precisely monitor the reef’s recovery over time. The marker and buoy also provide a calibration site for boaters to check the accuracy of on-board navigational systems. The marker sits at 25-10.38 N and 80-22.22 W. “The NOAA geodetic marker at Molasses Reef will serve as a constant reminder of the fragility of our coral reefs, while offering boaters and divers a practical tool for staying both above and below the waves,” said Tim Keeney, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.Workshops Scheduled for Net Mesh Measurement Rule
Once and for all, when is a net a gill net? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation aims to put this debate to rest through yet another round of public workshops concerning net measurement. At their June 2004 meeting, FWC commissioners directed staff to prepare a draft rule to clarify net measuring procedures. This latest round of workshops will gather public comment on this preliminary draft rule which will specify that a net with a stretched mesh larger than two inches is considered a gill (entangling) net, and, established that nets constructed with more meshes per foot of corkline than allowed are entangling nets. Information gathered at the workshops will be used to make necessary changes to the rule before the final rule is presented to the Commission in February, 2005. The workshop schedule as is follows: Nov. 5 th at 6-8 p.m. at Gulf Coast Community College, Student Union East, Room 243, 5230 W. U.S. 98, Panama City Nov. 16 th at 6-8 p.m. at Old County Courthouse, East room, 2115 Second St., Ft. Myers.Important Conservation Story in October Issue Guess what kills more fish than all recreational and commercial fishing combined? The intake structures on cooling water systems at 27 power plants in Florida are responsible for killing many billions of fish annually. Larval fish, eggs and plankton drawn into the vacuum-like intakes can become stuck against filters, or worse, pulled all the way into the giant condenser units, where heat, chlorine and turbulence cause high levels of mortality. New legislation is poised to address this ongoing threat, and it’s vital that anglers understand what’s in the works. Don’t miss “On the Conservation Front” and the related "Openers" column in the October 2004 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine or on our Floridasportsman.com. |
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