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Photos by Capt. Budd Neviaser for NSBNEWS.net. Cutline: These wild turkeys are feeding well and should be ready for the Spring hunt. These two bucks hear turn their heads toward noise they've heard.
Again, we have been blessed with no reports of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, being detected in the samples collected from Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River lagoon, or the Banana River, thus far this month through Christmas.
When the weather and seas cooperate, offshore charter trips report kingfish action is still hot on the party grounds and in areas of similar depth, sea surface temperature and subsurface terrain. Cobia action is good both on top and on the bottom. Catches of gag and red grouper, genuine Red Snapper, triggerfish, lane, mutton and mangrove snapper, and the tasty black sea bass are delighting the bottom anglers.
In the surf, the whiting and bluefish continue to produce some great fishing. Black drum, pompano, Gaff-top sail cats and an occasional sheepshead are also being caught. Best baits seem to be sand fleas and clams. In Ponce Inlet black drum, red drum, pompano, bluefish, sheepshead and small snook are producing most of the action.
In the Halifax River, black drum are still good around the bridges as it is for some small snook. In the creeks redfish, some smaller tarpon and snook are biting well on shrimp. Snook and redfish continue to be hot in the Tomoka area using artificial and real shrimp near the oyster bars. Small tarpon are still frequently being hooked up in the Tomoka area.
Capt. John Tarr says the water in the lagoon has cleared considerably with the early morning water temperatures in the mid 50s, warming to the high 60 during the afternoon. The redfish are a hit or miss situation. They are cruising the sand bars and shore lines. Less than 10 percent of the baits throw are eaten. Trout are lying over the sand spots warming themselves during the day. While the large schools of redfish have not appeared as yet the black drum seem to be schooling near the lagoon.
Remember Capt ” Rich A.”, the boisterous yankee “wanna-be” hardhead catfish guide? One of his supposed talents is boat refurbishing. He saw an ad recently in the Orlando paper advertising a used 14-foot flat-bottom fiberglass boat for less than $100. He borrowed a friend’s utility trailer and brought the boat home. Rich was inspired by seeing some local commercial fishermen using boats that are controlled from a pulpit style control post mounted on the bow. “Those are the coolest things on the water and I cannot wait to get me one”, he said, when telling me the story. Like a beagle on the trail of a rabbit, he worked relentlessly on his project until it was ready several days later. He asked me to come by and give my approval. When I arrived, I was shocked to see a small piece of ¾-inch plywood nailed (yes I wrote “nailed”) to the rolled lip of the gunnel.
From the very front of the board he had nailed a 4 x 6-inch post to which a steering wheel and control head had been mounted to the old 18 h.p. long-shaft Evinrude motor that he had found at some garage sale. I told him that boats do better with stainless steel screws and bolts particularly in a salt water environment. He agreed but related that the nails were only temporary and that the entire assembly would be finished correctly with stainless and fiberglass. I left before his friend came over to his shop and again they placed the boat and its additions on the flat bed trailer. Now keep in mind that Rich is no little boy – well over 6 feet and about 240 pounds.
Well, off they went to a ramp, launched this contraption, and to my amazement, Rich started the motor of the third pull. He then proceeded to his new built control tower, only to find that the stern end (back end) of the boat sat out of the water with him on the newly built perch. His friend advised him that he had two very heavy pieces of metal at his house, which would be good for counter balance. Twenty minutes later his friend returned and they together placed the weight in the rear on the boat and balance had been created.
According to his friend, as Rich left the ramp, the sight would have made any mother proud of her son’s accomplishment. Apparently the boat ran well on the smooth river waters and Rich negotiated turns and figure of eights like a champion. His ego and confidence rapidly climbed and Rich started a wide circular turn. After completing three-quarters of this maneuver, a contact by the boat with an unrecognized sand bar prompted the engine to make a loud roar and sputter. The collision also caused the 240-pound “skipper” to fly forward like a giant cannonball along momentarily with the post and attached controls.
However, as the post and controls came to an abrupt stop when the cables reached their maximum length, the skippers fingers rapidly straightened out and he sailed some ten feet further landing fortunately in a three feet of water on the other side of the sand bar. Wirth his ego and pride destroyed, Rich picked up what he could find and put them in the damaged boat. He flagged down another boat, who was nice enough to throw him a rope and drag the mess to the ramp. He and his friend got the damaged contraption on the flat bed trailer and as they pulled away from the ramp his friend queried, “Home?” Rich replied,” No, to the Volusia County Dump.”
The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission has two different closed seasons for snook in December. The first one started the first of December in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico waters as well as Monroe County coastal and inland waters and the Everglades National Park. It will stay closed until March 1. The remainder of Florida including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River was closed to snook harvest starting this past December 15th and will remain closed until Feb. 1. The closure protects Florida’s valuable snook populations during the colder months, when snook are most vulnerable and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
Progress on opening the Big Cypress Addition for public access and hunting is moving forward with the process to complete a general management plan according to the National Park Service. It must have such in place before a full range of recreational access can be allowed. As of now there is no timeline for completing the planning process but they expect it to be complete some time in fall 2010.
At the urging by the FWC, The National Park Service and the Department of Interior are in the final stages of adopting a general management plan that lays out what type of recreational activities they will allow on the area. The U.S.Congress established the preserve and the proposed addition to provide traditional public recreation in addition to resource protection. The FWC is urging the federal agencies to allow hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and vehicular access. There is close communication with the FWC and federal agencies and there have been unprecedented opportunities for the FWC staff to provide input into the planning process. The opportunity for public comment will be forthcoming in 2009.
Tragedy recently occurred in Broward County when a 13-year-old boy was hunting ducks with his father and brother. The younger lad attempted to put his gun down, which fell and discharged, fatally striking his 15-year old brother in the head. No charges were filed. In Florida, children under 16 may hunt with a gun lawfully, but must be accompanied by an adult. Anyone born after June 1, 1975, must take a Hunting Safety Course to purchase a hunting license.
FWC Officer Robert B. Johnston received several awards during the last meeting of the FWC in Key West. The officer from Levy County is the FWC’s "officer of the year." “His extensive knowledge of the inland and coastal waterways of Levy County helps people enjoy and use the county resources and keeps the area safe” said Col. Julie Jones, the director of the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement. Last year, Officer Johnston participated in eight search and rescue missions. Johnston also received the Coastal Conservation Association "officer of the year award" as well as the Shikar-Safari Club "international officer of the year award."
His exemplary work on the water and in the woods earned him recognition from both groups. He patrols a vast expanse of land and water, day and night and under the most adverse conditions. He loves his job, makes solid cases, and he cares about our natural resources and people. Some of the cases Johnston has made include taking deer during closed seasons, night hunting, taking turkey during closed season, hunting over bait in a management area, shooting from a roadway, illegal use of deer dogs, undersized and/or bag limit of redfish, grouper, shark, black drum, silver mullet, largemouth bass and spotted sea trout, illegal commercial harvest of oysters, commercially harvesting/selling with no saltwater products license, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of cannabis, cultivation of cannabis, manufacturing of methamphetamines and felony dumping.
Applications for the first supervised youth hunt at Babcock Ranch Preserve are now available at tax collector’s offices and online from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Ten lucky youngsters will be chosen for each of two quail hunts and seven for each of two spring turkey hunts. All hunters will be chosen through a random drawing. All hunts are three-day hunts. To be eligible for these hunts, applicants must be at least 12 years-old by the first day of the hunt for which they are applying and under 16 years-old by the last day of the hunt for which they are applying. Each permit allows only one youth to hunt, who must be accompanied by an adult supervisor that has to be at least 18 years-old. The accompanying adult is not allowed to hunt. No permit or license is required of the supervising adult. Both the licensed youth and the adult will be guided during the hunts. The adults and the youths are required to attend an orientation meeting the night before the scheduled Saturday and Sunday hunts. Primitive campsites for the selectees will be assigned.
Quail hunt applications may be submitted from 1000H EST Dec, 22, through 2359H EST Jan. 15. Quail hunts will be on Feb. 20-22, and Feb. 27-March 1.
Spring turkey hunt applications may be submitted from 1000H EST Jan. 20 through 2359H EST Feb. 6. Turkey hunts will be on March 20-22 and march 27-29, 2009. Online applications can be obtained by visiting www.wildlifelicense.com then selecting “Florida” and choosing “Quota Hunt Permits.”
NOAA’s Fisheries Service released its final rule recently to create a national saltwater angler registry of all marine recreational fishermen to help the nation better protect our shared marine resources. A requirement to establish a registry was included in a statute approved by Congress in 2007. "Better national surveys of the more than 15 million saltwater anglers will help us demonstrate the important contributions of recreational anglers to both local economies and to the nation’s," said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. "The registry will help us gather comprehensive data to ensure sustainable fisheries built on the best available science."
The improved quality of recreational fishing data achieved through a national saltwater angler registry will help demonstrate the economic value of saltwater recreational fishing, and will provide a more complete picture of how recreational fishing is affecting fish stocks. This kind of information is essential to NOAA’s goal to end overfishing as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. All recreational anglers who fish in federal waters will be required to participate, with some exemptions for those already registered in their states. The registry is the product of a major recommendation to NOAA in a 2006 independent scientific review by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.
The NRC found that NOAA needed a comprehensive list of everyone who fishes recreationally in marine waters to improve surveys of saltwater anglers used to help manage and rebuild fish stocks. The NRC recommendation became law in 2007 with the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary federal law that enables NOAA to manage ocean fish stocks. The final rule requires anglers and spear fishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be included in the national saltwater angler registry by Jan. 1, 2010.
Beginning in January, NOAA will exempt anglers from the federal registration rule if they are licensed in states that have a system to provide complete information on their saltwater anglers to the national registry. "NOAA wants to work closely with the states and anglers to better capture the contributions and effects of sportfishing," said Balsiger. "We expect that this additional year will allow a number of states to put in place systems to register their anglers annually and provide this information to NOAA." NOAA had originally proposed that registration be required, beginning Jan. 1, but based on public input decided to give states another year to put in place their own data collection systems.
If anglers are not licensed or registered by a state that has been exempted and want to fish in federal waters, they will be required to register with NOAA. They must also register if they fish in tidal waters for migratory fish such as striped bass and salmon that spawn in rivers and spend their adult lives in estuaries and oceans. However, those who fish recreationally for these migratory species inland of tidal waters need not register, according to the final rule.
Federal saltwater angler registrations will include an angler’s name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and the regions where they intend to fish. This information will be used by NOAA to conduct surveys on fishing effort and amounts of fish caught. Once anglers have registered, they may fish anywhere in U.S. federal waters, or in tidal waters for anadromous species, regardless of the region or regions they specified in their registration. The registration will be valid for one year from its date of issue. Anglers must comply with applicable state licensing requirements when fishing in state waters.
Saltwater anglers will be able to register online or by calling a toll-free telephone number that will be publicized, and will receive a registration certificate. Anglers will need to carry this certificate (or their state license from an exempt state) and produce it to an authorized enforcement officer if requested. No fee will be charged in 2010. An estimated fee of $15 to $25 per angler will be charged starting in 2011. Anglers who fish only on licensed party, charter, or guide boats would not be required to register with NOAA since these vessels are surveyed separately from angler surveys. Those who hold angler permits to fish for highly migratory species, such as tunas or swordfish, and those fishing under commercial fishing licenses will also be exempt. Anglers registered or permitted to fish in a formal state or federal subsistence fishery will also be exempt, as will anglers under 16.
NOAA received nearly 500 comments from anglers, state officials, and fishing and environmental organizations on its proposed national registry rule during the comment period from June 12 until Aug. 21. The registry is one component of the agency's new Marine Recreational Information Program, an initiative to enhance data collection on recreational catch and effort.
To read the final registry rule and other information about the Marine Recreational Information Program, go to: http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.
It has been written; “The hardest part of fishing is learning to read the water..” So whether you charter, ride a head boat, run your own vessel, stay in the river, surf fish, or fish from shore or a bridge - there are fish to be caught. Fishing is not a matter of life or death, it is so much more important than that.
Tight lines, Capt. Budd
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