Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: May 20, 2013

Florida Keys Dolphin Championship

May 24-26, 2013 - Florida Keys, Florida

• Registrations and weigh-in's in five locations from Key Largo to Key West. First place prize is guaranted $15,000. Catch the largest dolphin over 55 lbs. and win a $75,000 Sea Hunter Bay Boat. Catch it on a Sea Hunter Boat purchased within 72 months of these dates from an authorized dealer and win $50,000 more. Cash and prizes payed out 30 places. This is an open event. Chareter boats welcome. Angler substitutes are allowed each day before lines in.
• Contact: Jim Sharpe Jr, jimsharpejr@aol.com, 305-395-8712.

The Original "Redfish Poker" Fishing Tournament

• May 26, 2013 - Matlacha, Florida
• The Wounded Warrior Anglers of America, Inc. a 501(C)(3) public charity to hold fishing tournament to raise funds for the support of America's Wounded Warriors, Their Caregivers & Children. These warriors and their family count on us to assist with their PTSD therapy, stress management and rebuilding family ties.
• Contact: David Souders, david@woundedwarrioranglers.org, 423-620-9103. 

6th Annual Fire Charity Fishing Tournament

• June 7-9, 2013 - Palmetto, Florida
• We're a tournament with a heart for kids. Raising money for the Children's Burn Camp. Anglers win Cash Prizes and Trophies. Pre-Register NOW online and save 10%. Sunday is weighin and free publlic evet=nt  with art auction, raffles, pool, food, face painting and more. View http://www.FireCharityFishing.com
• Contact: Captain Erik Nicholson, sheryl@sheryl.com, 9419625873.

FWC scientists discover new bass species

• Scientists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have uncovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Scientists have proposed naming the new species the Choctaw bass and recommended the scientific name ofMicropterus haiaka. They revealed their discovery at a meeting of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society earlier this year.
• FWC scientists first noted a DNA profile that did not belong to any recognized species while testing a bass specimen from the Chipola River in 2007, as part of a broader genetic study of bass.
• “We didn’t set out to find a new species,” said Mike Tringali, who heads the genetics laboratory at the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “It found us.”
• After confirming the initial discovery, scientists searched for the DNA profile in bass caught in nearby rivers to determine the species’ range. They found that the Choctaw bass inhabits coastal river systems in Alabama and along the western Florida panhandle, including the Choctawhatchee River.

Wildlife ‘rescues’ can do more harm than good

• Winter is finally over. Trees and flowers are blossoming, birds are building nests and critters are being born.
• This is also the time of year when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) begins getting calls about “abandoned” animals that folks believe may be in need of rescue. The fact is that rescuing these seemingly abandoned youngsters interferes with the very processes that ensure their survival in the wild.
• After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young. This means leaving their newborns for short periods.
• Having some basic knowledge of wildlife and the survival skills animals use can help avoid attempting to rescue animals that don’t need rescuing.
• Common targets of misplaced rescues are baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mother feeds nearby. Many people who find fawns mistakenly assume they have been abandoned when, in reality, their parents are in the process of ensuring the infants’ survival.