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On August 22, 2008 in Elkin, North Carolina, David Hayes' granddaughter, Alyssa just asked him to hold her Barbie rod and reel while she went to the bathroom. He did. And seconds later he landed the state record channel catfish at 21 pounds, 1 ounce. Alyssa stand beside him with her Barbie rod and reel |
The typical summer-time fishing weather of hot, humid and thunderstorms got interrupted by a tropical storm named Fay, which ended up taking 6 lives and did considerable damage throughout the state . The good news is that the storm is now history for northeast Florida. The storm did cause some turtle hatchlings to have problems but thanks to rescuers they were protected from the crashing seas until the seas settled down and they will be released. Near Melbourne International Airport a slew of confused animals were wandering through the grounds of the airport thinking that the field were wetlands - four walking catfish, two gopher tortoises, a blue indigo snake, and an couple of alligators.
Offshore there was hardly any fishing this past week due to Fay. I would, however, expect the King Mackerel to continue to be the main trolling fish - mostly over wrecks, sea buoys, and artificial reefs Barracuda and little tunny will add to your catch. Besides the trolling fish, genuine red and other snappers and groupers will provide some good eating. Cobia should continue to be under debris as well as loggerhead turtles. This is not the time of the year for rays.. Several sailfish were caught before the storm and catches of this species will gradually rise in frequency through the end of November. The mangrove snapper bite was good on the recent full moon this month. The bottom bite for black sea bass, trigger fish, vermillion and Lane snapper will continue to be good. A lot of genuine American red snapper continue to be landed. Amberjack continue to give anglers great battles. A little deeper the gags and red grouper are giving the anglers action. . Past the 28 fathom curve, snowy & scamp grouper, as well as big red porgies continue to be caught. The shrimp boats will be dragging again and tarpon and spinner sharks will be behind them.
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Gopher tortoise, blue indigo snakes, catfish, and alligators all got confused with wetlands and Melbourne International Airport grounds. |
In the eighty degree surf the rough surf produced by Fay caused crabs and sand fleas to be subjected to violent water currents making them easy marks for large redfish - otherwise not too much was going on in the surf or piers.
In the Inlet, Capt. Fred Robert reports the water temperature is in the upper seventies at the inlet. He also reports those red drums (redfish) are responding well to live mullet baits. This action should peak over Labor day weekend.. At night, the dock lights are still holding speckled trout. A few small Goliath grouper had been hooked and released and they are a protected species. They were also blamed for the shoddy two day sportsman’s season this year on the lobsters. A fir number of legal mangrove snapper have been caught at night as have been some snook around the bridges along with snook. A few Kings are just outside the jetties. In the Tomoka area, there are also reports of reds, trout and flounder in the river but not too many pompano have been caught in the river. The old captain, Capt. Kent Gibbens stills is slaying the snook, pompano and redfish in the Tomoka basin.
Good news that there is no Karenina brevis, the Florida Red time organism detected in this week in water samples taken in the Mosquito Lagoon (Volusia County) and Indian River Lagoon (Brevard County)In the lagoon and the ocean.
Sheriff Ben Johnson’s BATTLE OF THE BADGES FAMILY FUNFEST and INSHORE FISHING TOURNAMENT will take place at the Brannon Center on September 19-21, 2008. This event is a fund raiser for the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches. There will be a Redfish and Trout Tournament judged by the infamous Captain Rich “Bluefish” Adamovic, weighmaster of the Halifax Sport Fishing Club. In addition to the tournament there will be vendors, rides, truck and car shows, and children’s fishing clinics taught by members of the Mid-Coast Chapter of CCA -Florida, and many other events and happenings.
The Ray Cook Redfish Spot Tournament has been rescheduled to September 13 with the Captain’s meeting September 10th at 1900 hours. At Lagoon Bait and Tackle, 700 North US1 in Oak Hill. Details are available at 386-345-0023.
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Gopher tortoise, blue indigo snakes, catfish, and alligators all got confused with wetlands and Melbourne International Airport grounds |
Did you know that boat owners are required to secure their vessels during storms? Well that is the law. The FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) urges boat owners to properly secure their boats in advance of sustained strong winds from T.S. (Tropical storm) Fay, which continued to hover over and skate the state. Vessels that break free can cause problems to waterways with pollution from spilled fuel and oil, and boats can drift into bridges, seawalls and piers, docks, causing interference to navigation and damaging the boats themselves. You just do not walk away and forget about the boat. According to Florida law, marinas cannot force boat owners to remove their vessels following a hurricane watch or warning. Florida also has laws relating to abandoned vessels. The state is often overwhelmed with lost, abandoned and damaged vessels following significant weather. Boat owners are strongly encouraged to report any loose vessel.
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Gopher tortoise, blue indigo snakes, catfish, and alligators all got confused with wetlands and Melbourne International Airport grounds |
The FWC has issued a statement that since the aftermath of T.S. Fay’s torrential downpours there is flooding of many of Florida’s creeks, canals, rivers, and other waterways. There is also considerable debris in the water also. The FWC urges boaters to be on the lookout or navigational hazards as people resort back to the waterway use. While most of the state has suffered from lack of water, there are some areas that water has risen significantly and hazards previously on dry ground or in shallow water may be completely submerged and not obvious to boaters. Inexperienced boaters and those not using prudent caution might fid a hole in their boat or engine damage. If things get particularly perilous or dangerous there might be closures of sections of the waterways or no wake zones.
The FWC has stated that they will deal with lost and damaged boats after tropical storm Fays exodus from the state. Some vessels always break free in spite of the best efforts of the boat owners to secure their boats during storms. The FWC and other agencies will make every effort to identify and return lost boats to their owners after the winds lie down. Usually the process is easy but in some instances the owner does not wan the boat returned and abandons it. Eventually the vessel will become a derelict vessel when it is wrecked, junked, or dismantled and is left on any public waters or at any port or docked on private property without the property owner’s con=sent. The FWC and local law enforcement officials must exhaust all available means to have the owners remove the vessel. The owner bears the responsibility of removing the derelict vessel from the public waters. If he refuses, he could face criminal charges with a fine to $1000, up to a year in jail or both.. Derelict vessels are dangerous for other boaters, are unsightly, and can damage the environment. In some cases the boat owner may have to reimburse the state for the disposal coasts of their vessel. The vessel’s owner will also not be able to register any vessel or vehicle until the state has been reimbursed for removal of the derelict vessel.
A swift response by FWC law enforcement and other officers averted a potential tragedy when a lion and a Bengal tiger escaped from their cages at McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary in Palm Beach County. The adult tiger and lion escaped some time late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Officers captured both animals by Wednesday morning and returned them secure cages. McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary has been operated by Mark McCarthy as a traveling educational exhibit since the mid 1980’sand holds a wildlife rehabilitation permit. The last inspection by FWC on January 29, 2008 revealed no problems other than an unlocked venomous reptile cage. The sanctuary has a good record with the FWC and has always had the proper sanitation and caging requirements and required permits. McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary houses six tigers, one lion, five cougars, five leopards and other cats. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office and Busch Wildlife Sanctuary assisted in securing the lion and tiger. The FWC is investigating how the animals escaped their cages.
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It has been written; “Unless you have a ritual for getting your tackle box ready, no one will regard you as a serious fisherman.” 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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