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Friday May 21, 1999

Legislative
meddling
Louisiana
legislators cant seem to stop meddling in the boat
builder-retailer relationship. First they required
manufacturers to purchase the unsold product of cancelled
dealerships. Now they want manufacturers to guarantee a
dealers territory.
Excise tax anniversary
The
10 percent excise tax we pay for fishing tackle will be 50
years old next year. The tax, part of the Sport Fish
Restoration Act, has raised $2.6 billion for states to
enhance fishing and fish habitat.
Trawl impact lawsuit
A
lawsuit has been filed accusing the U.S. government of
failing to evaluate the damage bottom-dragging fish and
shrimp trawls do to the habitat of bottom species in the
Gulf of Mexico. The suit was filed by Earthjustice Legal
Defense Fund and Florida Wildlife Federation against the
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council. It alleges failure to determine
the impact of bottom trawls violates the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
200,000 kids
Hooked
on Fishing International (HOFI) estimates that 200,000 U.S.
youngsters will participate this year in the Kids
All-American Fishing Derby, which officially launches with
National Fishing Week June 5-13. Nearly 800
derbies will be held in 50 states. To volunteer or offer
support for this vital program, now 13 years old, contact
HOFI by e-mail: kidsfishing@usa.net.
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May 1999
Blue
Water Sizzles
May is arguably the best month for
bluewater fishing off Northeast Florida, and a list of
significant catches made in the Gulf Stream and nearby
offshore haunts last year should give an indication of
what's in store this month. Early last May aboard his boat
Parts N Labor, angler Chris Bernacki boated a 48 1/2-pound
wahoo 22 miles off Mayport. Daniel McDaniel later nailed a
54-pound 'hoo at the HG reef. Catches like this are not
uncommon this time of year as warm-water spinoffs from the
Gulf Stream move inshore with regularity, bringing with them
weeds, ballyhoo and flying fish, and pelagics like wahoo,
tuna, dolphin and sailfish. When a spinoff moves over a
nearshore wreck or reef, anglers trolling baits for kings,
cudas and cobia are pleasantly surprised by the new
arrivals.
Late last May, for example, local
fisherman John Petry scored on a 30-pound blackfin tuna
while fishing the PM reef. Yellowfins and dolphin typically
show this month, too, and we can expect some big boys. A
70-pound yellowfin was taken aboard the Sam IV last May,
while fishing the blue waters off St. Augustine. And working
the same area, Paul Oklevitch on Hooky landed a 60-pound
yellowfin, while Richard Gaskins corralled an impressive
64-pound dolphin. Blue marlin in the 200- to 300-pound class
should show this month, too. Last May the crew of the
Pipeline out of St. Augustine caught and released an
estimated 225-pound blue marlin, as well as a 73-pound
yellowfin and 10 dolphin up to 41 pounds. The following
week, they caught and released a 350-pound blue and a
sailfish, and boated wahoo and a 35-pound dolphin.
Charterboat captain Billy Kerr on the Bacchus, out of St.
Augustine, guided a party early last May to five wahoo up to
60 pounds, a pair of sailfish and a couple of king mackerel
up to 30 pounds. Need any more evidence that May is a hot
offshore month?
Kingfish should begin to show over reefs
and wrecks this month, but usually it's not until June when
the biggest macks travel the beaches regularly. Tideline
rips at inlets may hold a few kings and cobia, but again,
that action increases in June. The EF reef was a good bet
for kings in the 12- to 20-pound range last May. Giant
jack crevalle should arrive this month, offering rod-bending
action around wrecks and at inlets for anglers who want to
work out with the 25-pound brutes. Sometimes they're caught
in chumlines and by livebait trollers. Daybreak casting with
live baits and big plugs around inlet jetty tips is a good
way to waylay a hard-fighting crevalle, and they love yellow
streamer flies. Last May Richard Chambers scored on a
32-pound crevalle at the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Also at
the pier last May was the first-ever recorded catch of a
striped bass, weighing almost 10 pounds, caught by Wayne
Sammons on a dead shrimp.
Inlet action can be good early this month
for Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Trollers dragging silver
spoons around tiderips should do best, especially during
falling water. Most of the Spanish will weigh under three
pounds, but you can catch bigger ones if you head to the
spoil buoy off the mouth of the St. Johns and use live baits
like you would for kingfish. And don't be surprised if a
king, cobia or big jack shows up. Excellent inshore fishing
is available throughout the area this month, chiefly for
redfish, but seatrout, flounder, black drum and sheepshead
will be in good supply, as well. One day last May, guide
Fred Morrow led anglers Alex and Keith Coker to 25 redfish
weighing between 7 and 16 pounds at the Mayport jetties.
That same day, while fishing with guide John Dyrssen in the
Intracoastal Waterway south of the St. Johns River, Billy
Crevasse caught 16 seatrout to 3 1/2 pounds, six redfish to
6 pounds, two black drum, a sheepshead and a common
weakfish. Not to be outdone, guide Jim Hammond showed
anglers Jerry Barrow, Mickey Wiggens and Junior Jordan how
to catch fish in downtown Jacksonville by landing four
striped bass to eight pounds, 12 seatrout, and a pair of
redfish.
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