ओवेर्सिजेद मच्केरेल मेंस किंग्स ओं थे वे...

Zippity Do DA, Zippity Day, My Oh my what a windy ole’ day; Winds continue to be heavy, setting back any coming of kingfish by at least a week। Anglers should be using a variety of baits, such as white bait to straws in bagging bragging rights to some of the biggest Spanish mackerel seen in years just off the beaches of inshore Florida। Larger mackerel have invaded the artificial reefs 5 to 7 miles offshore along with scattered kingfish. During the daytime, pompano and nice-size sea trout are being caught in the holes adjacent to the flats, and Reds are found tailing falling tides along side channels to docks.


Kahula Fishing Kites Catch Fish!

Ban on Gag Grouper Fishing Killing Florida’s Economy

Federal and state fishery managers have closed recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for gag starting February 01, 2009 and continuing until March to stop overfishing. Overfishing means gags caught at an unstained rate, although gag stocks do not suggest evidence of overfishing; go figure how this came about without evidence in a decision to cost southwest Floridians millions in lost revenues. Out of all the time in which to pick a closure, the council closes the season down during a time when this type of fishing is at a peak in bring in angling dollars in state to merchant revenues. A trickle down effect could cause small businesses to close and tourist dollars to go elsewhere. Tourist to locals who spend money to go private charter fishing target the first three months of the year as the best opportunity in catching a grouper and will plan their trips accordingly around this angling event. Peak Snowbird season (tourists) is February and March of any given year. With this new ruling, it doubles last year's original recreational closure, from Feb. 15 to March 15. At a time where housing is at a rock bottom low and the dollar in a stimulus mode why, would anyone wish more ills on an already plagued state of economical failings? This closure may need to be but not at a time where people are depending on Gag dollars to pay the bills. By placing an additional ban on gag grouper by extending the closed season through Florida’s peak tourists time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Southeast Region and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council are killing Florida’s economy in Gag Dollars. These dollars represented in the forms of lost tackle sales, fuel sales, charter captain sales, fishing license sales, food, and ice and lodging all lost because of bad timing. In a time where we are all pinching pennies, someone needs to do their homework before taking dollars away area anglers and local merchants.

Florida Great White Sharks: frenzy in the Gulf

[FWC/NOAA (2007)]
This white shark head was seized by federal and state authorities from a Seminole storage facility in 2007, where
the jaws of this estimated 10- to 12-footer caught in the gulf could be worth $20,000 on the black market.

Commercial shark season recently opened in the Gulf of Mexico, but anglers should know they might get more than they bargained for if they are angling for jaws.
This is the time of year that big bulls are out on the beaches at night delivering pups between the bars with a hunger and thirst for fresh meat. If they can catch their own first-born and they do often, it goes back inside as a meal. The Venice City Pier located at Sharky’s on the Pier 1600 Harbor Drive South, sets some three hundred feet outside the last sandbar or just over seven-hundred feet from the waters edge, making it as a pearl in location for catching big winter sharks. Zebco need not apply here at night as only the mighty are amongst the victors at fights end; Penn, Avet, International, Accurate to name but a few are the names of equipment in aid to the Venice pier anglers who are in pursuit of the biggest and best shark to claim as their own. Baits range from Barracuda to Kingfish heads and reel sizes from a cheeky 4/0 to massive workhorses in the 18/0 category, one speed or two, four hundred pound test leaders and hooks to match in strength, shark fisherman are serious in their quest to be the best. Many a large predator has but picked up bait and made that long zinging sound of a reel groaning in action, only to keep right on going and spooling out five-hundred yards of line to tail whipping a four hundred pound test leader at twelve feet in length. Even better yet, to an amazing surprise of a straitened out 12/0 hook or bit in half wire leader to match none! These great sharks are the ones that got away. I wonder if it could be…
Florida Great White Sharks.

Saltwater angling to require Federal Fishing License

Florida’s Free Fishing out in Three Years
Saltwater angling to require Federal Fishing License
Posted Dec 24, 2008
Public Policy
Federal registration would be good for one year, and would allow anglers to fish anywhere in U.S. waters.
The first year will be free, but thereafter, a fee of about $15 to $25 per year is planned, NOAA said.
As currently drafted, the requirement will affect “anyone who fishes in federal waters (3 to 200 miles from shore), as well as anyone who fishes anywhere for **‘Anadromous or Catadromous’ species,” the DEM said in a report about progress by the R.I. Marine Recreational Fishing License / Registry Study Group. Anglers 15 or younger would not be required to register, nor would people who fish only from licensed party or charter boats.
Other Keywords to Know and Associated with
**Anadromous or Catadromous’ species:
• Anadromous species:
Fish that spend their adult life in the sea but swim upriver to freshwater spawning grounds in order to reproduce.
• Catadromous species:
A Catadromous fish does the opposite of an anadromous species - it lives in fresh water and enters salt
water to spawn. Most of the eels are Catadromous.

• Diadromous fish travel between salt and fresh water (Greek: 'Dia' is between).
• Amphidromous fish move between fresh and salt water during their life cycle, but not to breed (Greek: 'Amphi' is both)
Bull sharks will also migrate to and from the ocean, making them an amphidromous species, which falls under the protection of all anadromous fishes.

Think of all the fish that either visit the rivers in the winter to hang out or to breed and you will find a few you angle for right here in our own backyards like Tarpon and Snook, to name but a few. Rather than trying to figure out if, it is legal or not it is just easier to purchase the license and let your money go in helping preserve our oceans habitat.

WANT MORE ON THIS STORY?
Feds delay saltwater fishing registry to 2010

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Think Mackerels, Think Bottom, Think Venice, FL!

Windy, cold northeaster conditions have stopped the boats and most pier anglers from venturing out to the wave tops this week but that is not where to be but to go down and jig off the bottom in a fast and irregular sweeping and dropping of your rod tip as the bite occurs on the drop. From baited, tipped jigs to casting small spoons in your favorite color, it is of the same sweeping motion that yields a sure fire wham bam fish on! The smokers are on again off again with a few caught right off the beaches of Casperson’s on surf gear under mini-balloons, Caught in Flight Kites and Aqua Gem Floats with live threadfins or needlefish. Boats trolling one, two or four ounce rudders with there favorite island lure or any which leads a bubble trail has been doing pretty well on the King Mackerels, with an occasional one pulled on to the boards in Venice, Florida, on their City Pier. If wind should shift slightly, and the temperatures not drop too sharply, this Halloween weekend ought to be hot on the Kings in Venice, Florida! As the winds change direction, the baits, like a magnet, change direction with them and make a move towards the next area of hard bottom in that direction. AS the wind blows from the north or south for a couple of days, the bait will follow the wind; a key point to know if angling from a vessel.
“FISH ON!” ©

Kings to Tarpon East is the Least

The Venice Pier Report sponsored by
Kahula Kites and the Venice Pier Anglers
For the weekend of the 18th Oct.

With the water teaming with boo coo bait this should be the best time of year to fish the waters of our area for Kings to Tarpon this time of year with the exception we have three things stacked against us; the wind, the moon, the temperature. At 83 degrees it is ten degrees too hot and with the wind blowing from the east as they say, “the fish bite least”, topped with a full moon and higher than normal tides and it equates out to some real itty or hit and miss angling! Changing all of the above except the water temperature this week has yielded Cobia to thirty inches, kings to 48, Spanish averaging three to seven and nice slot Reds to Snook at the beach head but only on a westerly wind!

Easterly winds, there are the here and there kings brought up on the boards like Erik’s 48 incher earlier this week and my 26 inch Schoolie caught on 12# test with a spoon and no wire, sure was tasty grilled in lemon butter king. Ben’s Slashed Jack on a Trollied and Edwin’s thirty pounder miss as it tried to hit a greenie free lined on a 12# line and hook; ha, ha, ha. Last night the runs were quite often with small sharks brought to the boards but none up on the boards and, of course the cut off and ones that got away. If the wind should change any direction from the southwest, west, northwest or north the King action should improve dramatically so keep an eye to the weathercocks. Water temps are dropping and it will take time for this to take place so do not hold your breath or you will be dead and blue before tis happens and the moon is waning down, so in a couple of days you may join me on the dark side Luke and we will catch more fish. Until then, Same’O Same’O Pier stuff… “FISH ON!”