Thursday, May 31, 2007

Snook Season Comes To An End


Snook anglers have until 11:59 p.m. tonight to keep the season's final two fish between 27 and 34 inches. Snook season will close tonight at midnight until Sept. 1.

While it will be strictly catch and release for snook until September, there is a strong possibility that anglers on Florida's Atlantic coast will have the bag limit reduced to one fish per person and the slot reduced to between 28 and 32 inches.

The proposed changes to the snook rules will be discussed at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's meeting and final public hearing on the matter June 14 at the Radisson Suit Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne. To see the complete agenda, visit www.MyFWC.com and see the news release.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Indian River Lagoon Fishing Report


Indian River Lagoon Coast Fishing Report, May 14, 2007

Complements of Mosquito Creek Outdoors, Apopka Florida

Has anyone bothered to enlighten Mother Nature on the premise that we are approaching the middle of May, because she seems to be a little confused? Like April, blustery breezes have dominated the weather this past week, and by the looks of the long-range forecast, we haven’t seen the end of nasty weather conditions yet. First, we had sub-tropical storm Andrea settle in on us Monday, with gale force winds and seas offshore up to 16 feet, and now a back door front has delivered some well-needed rain followed up by east winds up to 30 knots. Although this report is starting off on an ominous note, I did manage a few nice days of fishing in between systems, and it looks like Wednesday might be fishable as well.

My week started out great on Sunday the May 6th with perfect conditions, and I was privileged to have Mark and his son Matt onboard Three Quarter Time for a day of inshore fishing on the Indian River Lagoon. Both Mark and Matt have fished freshwater, but this was their first experience on the saltwater flats of the IRL, and the thought of redfish occupied their minds.

As usual, I arriver early around 5:30am and launched in Titusville, and instead of hanging around and blocking a busy ramp, I eased out into the Lagoon and tossed out a Chug Bug. Well believe or not, the fish were busting baitfish on the surface in the darkness, and I ended up landed three spotted sea trout and a gafftopsail catfish before returning to the dock to pick up Mark and Matt. Once we returned the previous location, both Mark and Matt experienced numerous strikes, but neither managed a solid hook-up. The bite quickly shouts down once the Sunday morning boat traffic picked up, so we moved on.

Our next stop was a flat on the east shore of the Lagoon, and again the ladyfish and sea trout were all over the Rip Roller and Chug Bug plugs. As we pushed deeper into the flat, I received a phone call from my good friend Mike Bridges, who was calling us in on several schools of nice redfish. Over the years, I have developed many great friendships with anglers on the Lagoon who are of the mind-set I refer to as the abundance mentality. We are all out there for the same reasons, and together we share information and catch more fish, which is what these fishing reports are all about, and in this case Mike made it easer for me to facilitate the desire of my clients, and yes Mike, we greatly appreciate your benevolence. As we poled up on Mike’s position, we started spotting tails, and both Mark and Matt scored handsome redfish with Matt catching the largest at 34-inches.

For the remainder of the week, dangerous conditions were experienced on the water, and I was forced to either postpone or cancel the remainder of my week’s charters.

On Friday, I loaded up my pick-up with three Freedom Hawk Kayaks, and it was off to Jacksonville to attend the Forth Annual Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Classic Tournament. The Classic is a catch, photograph, and release paddle fishing event organized and promoted by the Internet forum www.jaxkayakfishing.com, with all proceeds benefit the Daniel Foundation. This event is the largest CPR kayak-fishing tournament in the world and it included 282 registered anglers and over 60,000 in prizes. Although I didn’t make the board or win one of the 17 kayaks awarded, I have to admit this was the most fun I have ever experienced at any tournament, and some of the friendliest anglers I’ve had the honor to fish with, and I would like to thank Mike and Michelle Kogan and all of the other outstanding volunteers and sponsors who made the event such a great success.

John and Jeff Cameron from Freedom Hawk Kayaks in Michigan and I established Team Freedom Hawk, and although we have never fished in the Jacksonville area, the excellent weather and some great tips from other anglers set the stage for some assume fishing and a great angling experience.

As always, if you have any question or need more information, please contact me.

Good Luck and good fishing,

Captain Tom Van Horn

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Ed's Best Bet: Tarpon on the prowl


By ED KILLER
edward.killer@scripps.com
May 24, 2007

They're here! That was the email I received last week from Capt. Joe Massaro with a photo of a leaping silver king at the end of someone's line.

In the background appeared to be High Point — the tip of Sewall's Point marking the spot as the Crossroads — the intersection of the St. Lucie River, Indian River Lagoon, St. Lucie Inlet and Manatee Pocket.


The annual migration of tarpon begin to show in good numbers along the Treasure Coast anywhere from late April into late May and generally the tarpon fishing can be quite good throughout the entire summer until the end of the fall mullet run in late October.

The windy weekend will likely prevent anglers from sight fishing opportunities for the silver kings, but with luck, we'll be able to start chasing them next week. Until then, look for them in residential canals and spots where land-based anglers can cast to them.

Here I'll try to run down a few spots to be on the lookout for the tell tale roll of the king of the game fish.

1. Roosevelt Bridge, Stuart. How is it that no matter what I'm writing about, this spot comes up.
2. C-23 Canal spillway, Bessey Creek, Palm City.
3. Crossroads, Stuart.
4. Big and Little Mud Creek, Hutchinson Island. Have to go into Big Mud down the road on the north side.
5. Blind Creek, Hutchinson Island.
6. North Fork, Five Fingers area, Port St. Lucie.
7. C-24 Spillway, Port St. Lucie.
8. Fort Pierce Inlet Jetty.
9. Taylor Creek, Fort Pierce.
10. Barber Bridge, Vero Beach.
11. Sebastian River.
12. Sebastian Inlet Jetty.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Indian River Fishing News

The Indian River Bass Anglers fished Saturday on Lake Pierce near Lake Wales. Good fish were caught by the 10 anglers and five boats that made the trip.

Lee Turner and Joe Kubik of Vero Beach caught a total weight of 19 pounds, 1-ounce, with Turner's 7-pound, 12-ouncer the big fish of the day.

Other catches included 14 pounds, 5-ounces for Robert and Terry Kimbrough of Vero Beach; 10 pounds, 8-ounces for John Fink and Mert Dillard; 5-pounds, 15-ounces for Edwin and Joy Kimbrough and four pounds for Rob and Paul Maddaloni.

The next meeting of the Indian River Bass Anglers Club will be June 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Mrs. B's Restaurant, 8245 SR 60 in Vero Beach. For information call Robert Kimbrough at (772) 559-2547.

HBCA inshore fishes; offshore now June 8-9

Rough seas forced the Home Builders and Contractors Association of Brevard to postpone its offshore fishing tournament until June 9, but 80 anglers fished the inshore portion of the tournament Saturday.

Don Patterson, of Melbourne, won the HBCA Double Slam's slam award with 18.55 pounds of snook, trout and redfish including the event's first place redfish of 6.7 pounds. He collected $500 for the slam and $400 for the redfish. Fishing partner Roland Jones won the trout category with a 9.5-pounder worth $400. John Langdon won the snook division with a 12.70-pounder edging Jerry Seidel's snook of the same size based on time in to the scale at Squid Lips Restaurant in Sebastian.

The event was sanctioned by the Treasure Coast Flats Circuit and 69 anglers received TCF points. For TCF standings after four events visit www.tcfcircuit.com. To sign up for the HBCA Double Slam Offshore event call (800) 370-3720. Entry is $150 per boat.

Fishing Frenzy Moves to June 15-16

The St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce announced it has rescheduled its 11th annual Fishing Frenzy dolphin tournament for June 15-16. Anglers can still pickup entry forms at area tackle shops in Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie, at the Chamber office, 2200 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce, or online at www.stluciechamber.org. Entry is $225 per boat and the event will pay $10,000 for the heaviest dolphin caught. Call (772) 595-9999.

Hobe Sound chamber moves up summer sizzler


The Hobe Sound Chamber of Commerce announced it will move its annual Summer Sizzler fishing tournament to July 13-14. The captain's meeting will be at 6 p.m. Friday, July 13 at Harry and the Natives, 11910 S.E. Federal Highway, Hobe Sound. Weigh-in and awards will be at Blowing Rocks Marina in Tequesta.

Anglers will compete for cash prizes in dolphin, kingfish, wahoo, grouper and snapper divisions. Entry fee is $200 per boat and $225 after July 6. Proceeds will benefit Hobe Sound Chamber community programs.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

All About The Indian River Lagoon


A Lagoon is by nature a very shallow body of water. The Indian River Lagoon has an average depth of only 2 1/2 feet. Many of the mangrove islands were formed in the 1920's when the Army Corps of Engineers first dredged the ICW to allow safe inland navigation for large vessels. Vero Beach and the Indian River Lagoon is also the home of the famous Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.

Using giant dredges they would suck the bottom soil from middle of the lagoon and simply deposit it to either side. Eventually these deposits would sprout life in the form of mangrove seedlings, Autrailian Pine trees, and assorted types of palm, and palmetto shrubs. In time it has produced a beautiful and scenic ecosystem.

Mature coastal fish like the snook, redfish, sea trout, tarpon, various types of sharks, barracuda, and jack cravalle migrate into the lagoon after spawning to deposit their eggs or to simply feed. It's in this lagoon that many fish will spend the first 3 to four years of life before reaching maturity, thus replacing the previous stock, and then it all happens over, and over again. As you may suspect these predatory fish aren't the only ones to take advantage of the estuary.

The prey fish use this ecosystem as well, mullet, threadfin herring, grunts, croakers, pinfish, glass minnows as well as shrimp and assorted crabs. The current estimate is that more than 4,300 types of fish and animals utilize the lagoon at one time or another over the course of their lives. Bottle nose dolphin, manatees and otters are just a few of the mammals that also share this very bountiful universe.

Let's also not forget the additional life above the water line. The sea birds; Pelicans, gulls, the fish eating cormorants, Herons, Ibis,' mammals like; Raccoons, Squirrels, Opossums, Bobcats, reptiles such as; Green and Brown Anole lizards, Snakes like the Black Racer, the Banded Water Snake, along with numerous toads and insects even alligators.

Mix all this together and what you get is a macrocosm for all types of wildlife. Plenty of food for the smaller prey fish to eat around the mangroves, crabs, shrimp, and small minnows making up the majority of their diet. In turn while they're fattening up under the protection of the mangroves the predatory fish are feasting on them.

The lagoon system is a unique environment a constant migration of life, and naturally death. Now granted this is not a very scientific explanation but I'm not a scientist I'm a fisherman, and all I know is that it's beautiful system that nature has devised. The only natural enemy threatening it are humans.

Summer Fishing Patterns In Florida

Trout action will continue to be good in the early mornings. That hour or so after the first light appears is the best time to fish. Calm waters with a top water popper and/or slider are both going to be what to look for. The early bird gets the worm as they say.

Snook are going to be under any kind of shade during the day. Mangroves with some good over hang and docks will give them plenty of cover. In the early mornings, the snook will still be on the flats, following the bait pods. Nighttime action will be the best time for the snook to take flies. Under any of the bridge and dock lights will be where to cast your fly. Moving water on an out going tide will be the best situation.

Tarpon fishing of the beaches will get better and better as the summer goes on. The "Cove", is a great place to go, if the conditions are right. Calm winds or a west wind will make the ocean nice and calm to make the run a little easier. Most of the residential canals will also be a good place to go for the tarpon. Early mornings and right up until dark is a great time for them, but don't rule out the night.

During the night, the jacks and ladyfish will also hit very well. Small minnow and small shrimp patterns work best. These fish on a 5 or 6 weight rod can be a blast.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Mark Ballard

Monday, May 21, 2007

Microsoft To Acquire Aquantive

Software giant Microsoft is to acquire the digital marketing company Aquantive for $6 billion, it has been announced. The move is part of a wider effort from the company to expand its presence in the lucrative world of online advertising.

After the acquisition, Microsoft will acquire Seattle-based Aquantive's Atlas Media Console and Drive PM solutions for advertisers and publishers. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said: "The advertising industry is evolving and growing at an incredible pace, moving increasingly toward online and IP-served platforms, which dramatically increases the importance of software for this industry.

"Today's announcement represents the next step in the evolution of our ad network." Microsoft will also gain control of Aquantive's own interactive advertisement agency, Avenue A Razorfish. In April, Google won the race to acquire the ubiquitous internet advertiser Doubleclick, paying $3.1 billion for the company.

The New York-based Doubleclick was founded in 1995 by Kevin O'Connor and Dwight Merriman.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Broadband users spend half of free time surfing the net

People who have broadband end up spending almost half their free time surfing the internet, according to recent research.

During the week, users with high-speed internet spend approximately 48 percent of their free time on the net, a survey from Media-Screen shows. And 48 percent of young users of the broadband go on the internet to find out information about the entertainment sector, compared to 25 percent who rely on TV, the survey discovered.

Josh Crandall, managing director of Media-Screen, said: "Many broadband consumers go online for entertainment and to talk about entertainment with other fans. "Marketers need to leverage that interest and focus on catalysing a conversation now, instead of just talking to their fans via traditional advertising channels."

Of the time spent on the internet 27 percent is spent communicating with others, while 12 percent is spent shopping and nine percent searching for news or information. Meanwhile, a fake version of the next book in the popular Harry Potter series has hit the internet and fooled thousands of readers.

With a length of 250,000 words, the fake version of the book is similar enough to the real books that it took in legions of fans of the teenage wizard.