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| Erin Craft holds up her big snook |
Catch of the Week
This week’s catch of the week comes from Palmetto resident Erin Craft. She caught her 33 inch snook on a pin fish near the mangroves by Rattlesnake Key. This was the third snook she reeled in, their size progressing with every cast.
Have you ever wanted to show off a great catch? Each week The Bradenton Times will be selecting what we deem as the best catch of the week. Contributors will be featured in Monday’s article, pictured with their fish and placed in the catch of the week online photo album. Anyone can participate as long as you include a picture and a short summary of what you were using for bait, where and when the fish was caught and the angler’s contact info. Please send submissions to merab.favorite@thebradentontimes.
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Fishing Q&A: Larry Burris of Snead Island writes, ”I’m very confused by the area’s manatee laws. Is it one per boat or one per person?“
Larry, sorry but I had to laugh out loud (LOL) on this one. I was going to come back with something funny, but I decided to use this opportunity to debunk some common manatee misconceptions.
Every boater gets frustrated with the ”slow zones“ that seem to take an agonizing amount of time when the weather is perfect and the fish are bitin’. However manatees are still considered a threatened species and are needed to balance the delicate ecosystem of the bay estuary.
Misconception #1) Manatees don’t serve a functional purpose in the ecosystem and instead eat all the sea grass which depletes habitats for fish.
According to Mote Marine Laboratory, manatees do play a vital role in preserving the fishing habitat. By munching on the sea grass, the mammal prunes the plants allowing for the roots and grass to grow back thicker. They are also responsible for spreading seeds so new grass can grow. They are one of the only animals that do this.
Misconception #2) Manatees are not native to Florida.
While this may be one of the more popular ”letter to the editor“ arguments, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that it is completely untrue. They believe that the myth came from a study conducted in south Florida in the 1960's. This study assessed the effectiveness of Florida manatees as a means to control exotic aquatic plants and was based on similar research conducted with Antillean manatees in Guyana. While Antillean manatees were never brought to Florida for the purposes of the study, it generated a lot of publicity and confusion.
Manatees are well represented in Florida’s fossil record. Their remains were found in Native American mounds in Florida, sites that pre-date the arrival of the early Spaniards. The early colonists described how these natives hunted the manatee and were quick to appreciate the essential value of the species.
Misconception #3) Manatees should be taken off of the endangered species list because they have completely re-populated.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, though manatees have recovered in some areas, they are still an endangered species, protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Manatees are also protected under the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. Both of these laws make it illegal to "take" (i.e., harm, harass, injure, kill, etc.) manatees and violating it means hefty fines and even prison time. Manatees are also protected under the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act.
So far this year, there were 13 deaths recorded for Manatee County and 640 deaths statewide. Only 11 of the total amount are reported as being from natural causes. However, 245 of those deaths can be contributed to the cold streak over the winter. (Manatee statistics pdf).
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| Captain Rick Grassett with sailfish |
Fishing Report
This week Captain Rick Grassett of Happy Hooker One Charters reports some sailfish action. This type of fish is an offshore species and is caught more often in the cooler months.
They hooked into two large sail fish, one of which weighed in just over 80lbs. They let all 86 inches long with a 24 inch girth go as a catch and release. Captain Grass was offshore about 15 nautical miles south east of Anna Maria Island when they spotted the fish. They used one of their sports rods with cut threadfins as bait. A father and son from Chicago went home happy with plenty of pictures as souvenirs from the event.
Catching a fish of this size usually entails hiring an experienced sailfish guide. These guides provide accommodating knowledge when fishing for these grand game fish.
Trolling through sailfish territory will provide the angler with the best luck. Watching for schools of baitfish is a good way to spot them. Sailfish herd their prey into small schools and strike with their bills from behind to stun them. Then they return for the stunned fish. The whole display can usually be seen from afar.
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5 Day Fishing Forecast – unfortunately there is only average fishing all week, but the beautiful weather might make it worthwhile just to get out on the water.
To create your own forecast specific to your zip code visit www.wunderground.com.
Monday
Southeast winds around 5 knots will become west at 10 knots late in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters will be smooth. Monday night will bring Northwest winds around 5 knots becoming east around 5 nights overnight. Bay and inland waters will be smooth. The best fishing will occur from 4:54 - 6:54 p.m. and 4:26 - 6:26 a.m.
Tuesday
Northwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Tuesday Night will bring northeast winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. The best fishing will occur from 5:50 - 7:50 p.m. and 5:23 - 7:23 a.m.
Wednesday
Northwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Wednesday Night
There will be northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters will have a light chop. The best fishing will occur from 6:44 - 8:44 p.m. and 6:18 - 8:18 a.m.
Thursday
North winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. The best fishing will occur from 7:34 - 9:34 p.m. and 7:09 - 9:09 a.m.
Friday
The best fishing for Friday will occur from 8:20 - 10:20 p.m. and 7:57 - 9:57 a.m.
Tides
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To create your own tide chart follow the link to NOAA's website |
Solunar Forecast
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To create your own solunar forecast specific to your zip code go to www.solunar.com |
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