Coastal Breeze News

by Fran Diebler I will be following s/v Moonbeam and her crew as they sail from Marco Island and through the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand completing a Pacific Circuit. Moonbeam is a 52’ Island Packet Cutter. There will be updates from time to time as they push forward to achieve their objective which is from Marco Island to New Zealand via the Panama Canal, visiting many South Pacific Islands along the way. A return trip to Marco by completing the circumnavigation is expected in the Spring of 2014. Ken Bardon, owner and skipper of the s/v Moonbeam, is a ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Wintertime here in Southwest Florida is synonymous with the arrival of huge flocks of snowbirds, but did you know that convicts arrive here in big numbers too? Yes it’s true, but these are much welcomed convicts…AKA Sheepshead fish. These fish begin to arrive in big numbers about this time each year to spawn. They inhabit many of our near shore structures, oyster bars and the deeper mangrove pockets in the back county river mouths. We call them convicts because of the black and white stripes they “wear.” In addition to being called convicts, sheepshead ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Looking for something different to do with your Florida Spiny Lobster tails this season? Yeah, it’s hard to beat grilled tails drenched in seasoned butter, but you are going to need an appetizer to wash down those cool bevies while the tails are cooking right? Let me show you a quick and easy way to make a cool and fresh appetizer that will knock your guest’s sombreros off. First off, get your tails split and seasoned up. Take a large knife and split the tops of the tails and crack them wide open. Now ... Read More »

LADY ANGLERS Captain Mary A. Fink islandgirlscharters.com The first three articles of the “Lady Anglers Corner” in Coastal Breeze addressed the many benefits sport fishing provides, tackle selection and what conditions and structure to look for when seeking fish. Now it’s time to start fishing using the skills mentioned in previous articles to your benefit! This author suggests testing your skills with local mangrove or gray snapper fishing. Mangrove or gray snappers are quite common around mangrove edges, reefs, rocks, docks and other structures. This is one reason why starting with snapper fishing is a good idea as your likelihood of ... Read More »

PEDAL IN PARADISE By Matt Walthour If you are reading this, either the world didn’t end, or you snuck out of your bunker and hopefully pedaled your bike to the closest newsstand and grabbed this issue of Coastal Breeze. Whatever the reason, I am happy we are all still alive and you have found the time in your renewed life to read my article. As I look towards 2013, and reflect on 2012, I think about all the bicycles I see, whether on the back of cars, in bike racks, at stores or schools, and the hundreds of people I ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Our typical weather patterns are here as December rolls into January, and we are seeing some of our first 40 degree mornings here in the 10,000 Islands. It is certainly our coolest period of the year, however the days when the fronts are absent, the sun is shining, and the thermometer gets up into the mid 70’s, can make for some awesome fishing! January is another month that you should keep an eye on your tide chart before planning your day on the water. We have some extremely low tides around both the Full ... Read More »

from The Enthusiast Newsletter by local John Scott There is no question that one of the cardinal points of successful living is paying attention to the details of any undertaking; and no better lesson can be offered in the art and science of paying attention to those pesky little details than the story of our perfect evening on Keewaydin Island that unfortunately extended late into the night. We anchored in a little over two feet of water just a short distance from the beach. Keewaydin Island is a little used paradise that can only be reached by water. It is ... Read More »

LADY ANGLER’S CORNER Capt. Mary Fink  [email protected]  In the mangrove maze of South Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, fish are plentiful. The key to productive fishing, however, often depends upon your ability to find the fish and to use the existing environmental conditions to your advantage. Among these conditions are factors like water temperature, depth, wind direction and strength, tidal exchange, moon phase and structure. This author believes that, of these factors, tidal exchange and the presence of structure are most important, as structure provides habitat and tidal movement provides forage or food for fish, especially during an incoming tide. Structure ... Read More »

BUZZ FROM THE SWAMP  Patricia Huff  [email protected]  In the Glades, we begin the month of December with the ever-popular Pancake Fly-In. On Saturday, December 1, Wings 10,000 Islands will host a pancake breakfast at the Everglades Airpark from 10:00 AM. until noon. Everyone is welcome! For information, phone Chuck at (239) 695-3296. The following evening Dr. Roger Hammer, author of Everglades Wildflowers and other books, will be the featured speaker at the Friends of Fakahatchee Dinner/Talk on Sunday, December 2, at the Everglades Seafood Depot. Tickets for the delicious roast beef buffet are $30 for members and $40 for guests. For ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] Typical to this time of year, we are seeing some mild cooling trends to both the air and water temperatures here in the 10,000 Islands. Weather trends are usually about the same right now up until the middle of December, when we typically see our first major cold fronts come rolling through. We have already seen a few minor cold fronts come through in November which brought the night temperatures down into the low 50’s. The fronts also brought some days where the wind hit 20+ mph. Expect Gulf water temperatures to drop down ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] As fall turns into winter here in the 10,000 Islands, we are presented with some daily challenges and obstacles that require more thought and planning prior to starting your day of fishing. One aspect of planning your day can be accomplished far in advance and that is determining your tides. Tide charts are available spreading out years in advance. Here I will explain tides in layman’s terms to help keep it simple for those new to tide prediction. There are more technical explanations on the Internet that can be found with a simple Google ... Read More »

LADY ANGLER’S CORNER Capt. Mary Fink  [email protected]  Whether you are a beginner or an experienced lady angler, one of the most important decisions you should make before setting out for a day of fishing is that of tackle selection. Fishing tackle can be defined quite simply as: a rod, a compatible reel, fishing line, hooks, lures and possible live bait selection. This author recommends light tackle for most types of fishing for both novice and experienced anglers. Light salt water tackle would include a reel with a line capacity and strength in the 8-15 pound range and a rod that ... Read More »

BUZZ FROM THE SWAMP Patricia Huff [email protected]  The holidays are approaching and more events are being planned in the Swamp. Big Cypress Gallery is hosting its “Annual Holiday Book Signing” with Clyde Butcher on Friday, November 23, and Saturday, November 24. Clyde’s books make great holiday gifts, especially with a special note from Clyde. For more information call (239) 695-2428. The Everglades Society for Historical Preservation will host its first program of the season on Friday, November 30, at 5:30 PM in the Everglades Community Church annex. Marco Island historian Betsy Perdichizzi will present “Pioneering Medicine in the Marco Wilderness” based ... Read More »

By Kathleen Zehler  WHAT IF….we could step back in time some 77 years ago to the year 1935? We would find that the NFL Champions were the Detroit Lions, the World Series Champions were the Detroit Tigers and the most popular Christmas gifts were Monopoly and the Fire Fly Sled. You would also find the gem that one local Marco Island man has asked himself “WHAT IF” several times since discovering her… THE RED BARON! She is 63 feet long and every bit of 66,000 pounds, a beam of 13 feet, 6 inches and powered by massive twin GMC Detroit ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] We loved Antigua for its history, living museums, friendly people, snug anchorage, facilities and so much more. However, after an 11 day stay, we reluctantly had to move on. Our next port of call was Deshaies on the French island of Guadeloupe. Deshaies pronounced “Day Hay” is on the northwest corner of Guadeloupe. From the anchorage, Deshaies looks very much like a village on the French coast with its colorful shops and brightly painted fishing skiffs bobbing on their moorings. The harbor is opened to the West as all of the Leeward Island anchorages are. Seldom ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH  Capt. Pete Rapps  [email protected] November is one of my absolute favorite months here in the Ten Thousand Islands! The reasons are numerous and I could go on forever describing them, but some of the highlights are…. 1) Mild weather patterns with little rain and light winds, 2) Fish are actively following and feeding on the huge bait pods just off the coastal beaches, 3) Daytime temperatures are comfortably hovering in the high 70’s to low 80’s, 4) Migratory birds are actively arriving for the winter……. and the list goes on! The change of seasons will begin to affect ... Read More »

LADY ANGLER’S CORNER Capt. Mary Fink  [email protected] Ladies, when you think of the sport of fishing, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe you visualize complacently sitting somewhere with your line in the water hoping that a fish may swim by and take some interest in your bait. Could it be that you have an aversion to touching live bait and fish? Perhaps your husband wants to go fishing and asked you to join him, so you feel obligated to go. Whatever your initial thought of fishing may be, it is this author’s experience that many women ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] A prime shallow water fishing target here in the 10,000 Islands, the Spotted Seatrout are common estuarine fish found throughout the southern coasts of the United States along the south Atlantic and all coastal areas of the Gulf of Mexico. Contrary to its name “Spotted Seatrout”, they actually are not a member of the Trout family at all, however they are a member of the drum family (Sciaenidae). Spotted Seatrout are silver in color with olive-green tints on their back, and numerous small black dots which extend over their dorsal fins and onto their ... Read More »

CRUISING LIFE Frances Diebler [email protected] We stayed one day too long on Nevis. The Trade winds began to build up and we would have to plow to windward to go on to the next island which was Montserrat. We decided to stay one more and moved GRENDEL to Pinney Beach anchorage. This too was a roadstead, but at least there was a beach lined with coconut palms at the water’s edge and a huge volcanic peak soaring skyward in the center of it all. We thought we could beach the dingy and walk ashore. No! We couldn’t do that either as ... Read More »

FOLLOW THE FISH Capt. Pete Rapps [email protected] September is typically the warmest month of the summer here in the 10,000 Islands. Day time air temperatures will average around 92. Water temps will hover between 86-88 degrees. Typical to our summer months, September heats up so much by midday, that the bite typically drops off by early afternoon. We get a lot of mid afternoon storms which will cool things off a little, and produce a late afternoon/ early evening bite. Although Tropical Storm Isaac did not accumulate to much as far as damages on land, it sure did leave it’s mark ... Read More »