The reactive angler is patient and waits for fishing opportunities to present themselves. An example of this may be making the choice to anchor in an area and remain there until there is a change in tidal movement or when the fish may start to bite. This angler can remain quite content and patient in fishing one or two places during the course of the day. It is not uncommon for this angler to experience “hot” and “cold” periods of fishing throughout the day with the change of environmental conditions like tide and wind. Like most fishing enthusiasts, reactive anglers enjoy the intrinsic value of being on the water and perhaps the fellowship of friends and family. Catching fish is often considered a real bonus, but not a requirement for a successful day on the water for the reactive angler, as this person is truly “fishing” – not always “catching.”

The proactive angler, on the other hand, spends most of his/her time actively seeking or hunting for fish with a bit more single mindedness to “catch.” Patience is not a virtue for the proactive angler. Seeking signs of “active” water including tidal movement, baitfish on the surface and feeding birds is how the proactive angler spends a good deal of his/her time.  Moving from place to place is also characteristic of the proactive fisherman. Active fishing is usually done by anglers who understand the feeding patterns and habitats of their intended targets. The proactive angler is quite serious about catching fish and will determine the day’s success by the numbers and types of fish caught.

One dead giveaway in the clear determination of an active angler is that of prepared anticipation. It is a requirement for most proactive fishermen to have three or more rods pre-rigged with specific tackle for specific situations in anticipation of just about anything that could happen on the water, such as a feeding “blitz” or breaking fish on the water – when a buck tail jig or a rapalla would be a good bet. Proactive enthusiasts will surely have some type of bottom rig prepared in advance as well as a simple leader and hook for free lining live bait. There is nothing worse for the proactive angler than to run into a feeding blitz and be found unprepared.  Timing is everything in active fishing where the preparation of tackle and jigs before heading out can make or break a fishing day when it comes to productivity.

As a charter captain, I am clearly a proactive angler, especially when hired.  However, on my “days off” when I don’t have a charter booked, I can easily kick back into the more laid back approach that the reactive angler enjoys.  There’s not a place in the beautiful Ten Thousand Islands where anchoring for a day wouldn’t be a pleasure!

Which type of angler are you?

Tight Lines!

About The Author

Captain Mary specializes in fishing the beautiful Ten Thousand Islands. She holds a “six pack” captains license and has a knack for finding fish. A passionate angler possessing over 35 years of extensive experience in both back country and offshore fishing, Mary offers fishing expeditions through her Island Girls Charters company. When fishing with Captain Mary, you will be exposed to a variety of successful techniques including cast and retrieve, drift fishing, bottom fishing and sight fishing.  Visit www.islandgirlscharters.com to learn about fishing with Capt. Mary.

The opening wine and cheese reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Thursday April 4, 2013 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Marco Island Historical Museum. Live entertainment provided by J-Robert.

The tiny island of Goodland, Florida, has been a special source of inspiration for local award-winning oil-painter Tara O’Neill for many years. Born the ninth of ten robust children to an Irish immigrant father and grammatically fussy mother, art gave Tara a private deliverance from chaos, and a voice to be heard over bedlam. The tropical palette of her childhood continues to significantly affect Tara’s work. South Florida: A Villager’s View relates her most intimate views, current and historic, of a working fishing village afloat with brilliant flora and a range of feathered-fauna; where old-growth trees dwarf candy-colored cottages, where docks serve as driveways, and the backyard is the 10,000 Islands.

Located on historic Marco Island, just sixteen miles South of Naples, the new Museum explores Southwest Florida’s Calusa Indians and brings this vanished civilization to life through its displays. Temporary and traveling exhibits trace the settlement of this subtropical island paradise from its early pioneer roots as a fishing village, pineapple plantation and clam cannery, through its explosive growth and development in the 1960s.

For more information about the Marco Island Historical Museum’s South Florida: A Villager’s View by Tara O’Neill, please contact the museum at 239-642-1440 or visit www.colliermuseums.com.

natalie@coastalbreezenews.com

Saturday, January 12th, marked the start of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 2013 Python Challenge. The month long hunting competition aims to both educate the public and better understand the invasive Burmese python. Senator Bill Nelson joined the hunt alongside FWCC Commissioner Ron Bergeron on January 17th to bring awareness to the devastation of the Everglades caused by the constrictor snake.

Before heading out on the hunt, Senator Nelson and Commissioner Bergeron addressed media alongside I-75 at the Mile Marker 41 Boat Ramp. Senator Nelson discussed the urgent need to control the ever-growing python population. “The superintendent of [Everglades National Park] has said that there may be as many as 150,000 [pythons] just in Everglades National Park. And so we’ve got a real problem.”

While constrictor snakes do not occur naturally within the state, the Burmese python has been considered an “established species” in Florida since 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The original introduction into the Everglades is unknown, however, the Florida Fish and Wildlife website states, “it is likely that Burmese pythons escaped from a breeding facility that was destroyed during Hurricane Andrew. It is also likely that pet pythons have been released in and around the Everglades.”

The Burmese python has no natural predators in the Everglades due to its size. It can grow up to 26 feet in length and can lay between 50 and 100 eggs at a time. These factors make for rapid reproduction and it seems the Burmese python has done just that.

This Burmese python on display for journalists on January 17th measures 13 feet in length. Burmese pythons can grow up to 26 feet long. Photos by Natalie Strom

According to a study published in January 2012 by researchers at Virginia Tech University, Davidson College and the U.S. Geological Survey, dramatic decreases in prey mammals in the Everglades can be linked to the growth in the python population. In the southernmost part of the Everglades, where the Burmese have been established the longest, raccoon, rabbit and opossum populations have dropped by 99 percent over the last 11 years. The bobcat population has decreased by 87.5 percent and fox and marsh and cottontail rabbit populations have simply vanished. Leaving little to no food for native species such as alligators, black bears and panthers could cause a devastating effect on the wildlife as a whole in the Everglades, south Florida and throughout the state.

In an effort to curb the python population, The U.S. Department of the Interior, with the support of Senator Bill Nelson, announced the ban of the the importation and interstate transportation of the Burmese along with three other nonnative constrictor snakes in January of 2012.

“Think of the larger context of the Everglades,” stated Nelson, who went on to discuss current Everglades restoration projects such as the bridges being built along Tamiami Trail to increase water flow and cleansing. “All of this can go for naught in our restoration plan, which is a 40 year project jointly with the state and federal government, when something like this starts getting in the way.”

FWCC Commissioner Ron Bergeron, a true champion for the Everglades, commended the Senator for his concern. “Nelson is a great supporter of the Everglades. We’ve been coming out here together for 35 years. He’s a wonderful senator that’s very focused on our environment and [he and I] work constantly, way beyond the pythons, regarding all the Everglades restorations. He’s not just here for the pythons, he’s here all the time.”

Before disappearing into the Everglades on his personalized airboat, Bergeron, a lifelong hunter who lives on an 8,000 acre natural ranch (“Just like God created it.”), had this to say of the 2013 Python Challenge: “I was very blessed to be raised as a young man before the Everglades was compartmentalized.

Senator Bill Nelson discusses the harmful impact of the invasive
Burmese python to the Everglades as FWCC Commissioner Ron Bergeron tightly holds the head of a recently captured constrictor.

I’ve seen it naturally, that’s why I’m so honored to be the point commissioner on the Everglades, to make sure that we conform a consensus of a natural system. And I spend half my time trying to do that. I wouldn’t be for this hunt if it wasn’t an invasive species that was capable of eating everything in [the Everglades] food chain.”

More than 1,000 hunters are registered for the 2013 Python Challenge which ends at midnight on February 10. Participants paid a $25 registration fee and completed an online training course. A grand prize of $1,500 awaits the person who brings in the most pythons and a $1,000 prize will go to the person who captures the longest python. As of Monday January 21st, 27 pythons had been killed and brought to the University of Florida to be logged and studied.

1977 Aerial of the former Coconut Island located due north of Hideaway Beach’s Royal Marco Point, and west of Isle of Capri. SUBMITTED PHOTO

The former Coconut Island was a traditional place to raft up your boat, along with your friends’ boats, on a lazy Sunday afternoon and have a cookout on the beach while everyone swam and simply relaxed. It was a beautiful location – just north of the future Hideaway Beach, due east of Isles of Capri, situated in the mouth of the Marco River and the view to the west was of the Gulf of Mexico and the setting sun. Hurricane Donna created Coconut Island in 1960 when the south tip of Cannon Island was cut off; over time this little Island shifted and moved some but was mostly stabilized by tall Australian pine trees that dominated the north end of the island.

Few of the many visitors to Coconut Island, as they swam off the beach, knew that these waters formerly held hundreds of hooked sharks, and even fewer sun worshipers realized, as they lay on the beach, that they were tanning in an area where the sharks had been pulled ashore, killed, skinned and the meat butchered for sale.

The son of the local barber in the small village of Marco (now known as Old Marco), Francis Howard, was one fisherman who made his living in the shark business. Francis would take his boat offshore and, with hundreds of feet of chain, set a floating line of 50 gallon drums secured by anchors at the ends and attach numerous strong fishing lines off of the chain with large baited hooks creating what is known as a “long-line.” Dave Johnson, who grew up in Old Marco and whose father Roger participated in the early 1960’s in some of the “sharking,” describes this type of fishing as “a trout-line on steroids.”

Francis would return to Marco after setting his baits and would check the lines daily. It was important to keep the sharks alive so that their meat would be fresh for processing and, in addition, a hooked shark could be quickly damaged. Male lemon sharks, sensing that other sharks were hooked, would often swim along the line taking a bite out of almost every other shark, damaging each hide and, upon finding a bait available, would swallow it hook and all. Upon getting enough sharks attached, Francis would release a long line and drag it with the hooked sharks behind his boat back to the beach for processing.

After a shark’s skin has been removed and dried it is known as shagreen. For many years there was no commercial market for shagreen as the skin protecting the shark has a hard exterior, horny layer with small denticles (placoid scales) that are impossible to remove by mechanical means. Shark skins were used by Southwest Florida’s native Calusa Indians as coarse sandpaper to polish wood and also by South Pacific natives as the membranes on drums. However, on April 27, 1920, shortly after WWI, a U.S. patent was obtained by Allen Rogers for the “Improvements in Treating of Shark-Skins and the like Preparatory to Tanning” to remove the “hard or horny coating known as dermal armoring.” Rogers assigned his patent to the Ocean Leather Company of New York who, for over 60 years, held a virtual monopoly on the production of shark skin. The chemical process used was to soak the skins in a solution of salt and hydrochloric acid which, after a couple of hours, dissolved the denticles, and then the hides were colored as part of the finishing process. The final result was smooth skins much more elastic than pigskin, 150 times more resistant, and sturdier than cow leather. The market for shark skin was in making cowboy boots, handbags, belts, key and lighter cases, watch straps, sandals, gun holsters, cigar cases, briefcases, wallets and purses, and the like.

In the Journal of American Leather Chemists Association in a 1920 article, Allen Rogers, inventor of this patent, wrote that after being brought to shore, the sharks were killed using an axe (later they were often shot) and stated, “Dressing starts at once. Fins and tails removed – fins tacked on a rack and allowed to dry in the sun – used by the Chinese for making soup. Fish cut down the back and circular cut around the neck and gills. Skin removed so only the holes of the pectoral fins and rectal opening remains in the pelt. Flayed skins placed in salt for 24 hours.”

Other reports said that saltwater was brushed on the skin’s surface or it was hosed well with saltwater to remove the impurities before the hides were soaked in salt brine. Upon removal they were dried in racks in the shade overnight, salted more on the flesh side with a preservative, and placed in piles about three feet high. The piles were laid out to dry for up to a week. It was a major problem if it started to rain or fresh water ran on the skins during the drying process as that would create “sour spots” or discolor them and significantly reduce the value. At one time, Ocean Leather Company was paying a 20 percent bonus for hides without any cuts or flaws. After drying, the skins were re-salted and folded into flat bundles, flesh side inwards, with the bundles wrapped so air could get in, usually with burlap, and sold that way.

Faye Dickerson Brown remembers in 1959 when she was a senior at Naples High School and her good friend Lois invited Faye to go “sharking” with Lois’s brother, Francis Howard, his wife Emily, and Lois’s sister, Lettie, and her three children. At the time Francis was using the “north beach” or what is now known as Hideaway Beach for shark processing. Faye remembers Howard bringing their party to the beach after already having pulled in a long line.

Faye describes what happened: “Francis’s wife Emily sat upon the bow of the boat and cut the shark meat up into steaks which she said they sold to the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades to be sold on the menu as swordfish steaks. Once we found something in a shark’s belly and it was sized and shaped like a man’s lower leg! We all held our breath while Francis split open the stomach and pulled out a smaller shark from the larger shark’s belly. A four foot shark had taken the fish bait and the larger shark swallowed the smaller shark behind its head and was caught. I remember eight to ten foot sharks, mostly Tiger, Nurse and Lemon sharks.”

Of all the Florida sharks fished for, the most sought-after and profitable was the Tiger shark. In 1968, the skin of a 12-foot Tiger shark brought a base price of $12.50, added was a bonus of 50 percent because it was a Tiger; the meat sold for at least $10; and the fins (which were small) $3 additional, resulting in more than $30 for the one catch.

Faye continues her story about that day in 1959 with her friends on north beach: “We went dressed in our swim suits and sometimes swam near where the sharks were being skinned which was a crazy thing to have done.” Apparently they were simply following local tradition; in 50 years not much had changed.

A Tiger shark being pulled out of the water by Francis Howard assisted by Roger Johnson on the block and tackle, and Francis’ sister, Lois (Howard) Crews on the dock. PHOTOS BY Dave Johnson

Julian Dimock, with his father, headquartered their Everglades adventures on Marco, wrote in 1908: “In Marco women and children swim about the dock from which men are fishing for sharks, and more than once, while swimming there with my daughter, fifty feet from shore, I have seen a shark glide between us and the bank.” Clearly Dimock did not seem the least bit worried about his daughter repeatedly swimming with sharks while today this activity would seem worrisome as many are paranoid about sharks. In earlier times, when people were much closer to nature, they understood that, for the most part, sharks were pretty harmless and they held no cause for alarm. However, it is fortunate that humans do not taste as good as a tarpon, as Dimock also writes about fishing for tarpon and ending up with a shark on the line: “A fourteen foot shark is likely to have taken in half of your six-foot tarpon at a single bite.”

Shark meat that was not good enough to be sold to restaurants could be made into fish scrap for fertilizer as it contains about 15 to 17 percent nitrogen. Another profitable part of the shark was the removal and processing of its liver. One Tiger shark caught was 7’8” long, yielded nine square feet of skin, weighed 128 pounds and its liver weighed 24 pounds – slightly over the average for Tiger sharks whose livers normally weigh about 17.5 percent of their total weight.

Inventor Allen Rogers, in 1920, again describes the process: “Livers go into a barrel to disintegrate them in steam jacketed kettles and heated to boiling for about one hour. From kettles the oil is run into washing and settling tanks where the gurry is separated, oil runs into a tank, is washed and then stored for shipment.”

Sharks are unique sea animals as they have no swim bladder and their buoyancy in water is maintained by their large livers saturated with oil. The processed oil from shark livers was used as fine machine oil or as a lubricant as it has a very low melting point and a very high boiling point. It was also used in cosmetics, skin healing and for health products. During WWII, a large boom in the business occurred as it was discovered that shark oil could be used to produce Vitamin A which helped the night vision of fighter pilots. That market collapsed when synthetic Vitamin A was discovered in 1947.

Ocean Leather Company started production around 1923 in the Florida Keys where, by 1930, they were catching and processing an average of 100 sharks a day. Almost everything connected with the sharks was used with the oil being processed by Hydenoil Products. One comment at the time about the harvesting process of sharks was that “the odor was quite strong.” By 1964, Ocean Leather Company, in its northern plant, was processing about 16,000 shark hides annually. Because 98 percent of its production was sold in Texas, the company did not try to market elsewhere as they could hardly keep up with the demand from the Lone Star State.

Dave Johnson mentioned one spectacular day of Marco sharking: “The day they brought in the Great White was quite an event. Nobody had ever seen one before. It was 19-feet long and as you can see from the photo, something pretty big as well had bit a large chunk out of its pectoral fin before it was harvested.” Presumably that bite was from a male lemon shark.

On Marco, the sharking business died off around 1963 or 1964. Dave mentions living on the north end of the Island at the time: “A little down side to the enterprise was the fact that when the wind blew from the west, the smell of those drying shark fins was strong enough in Old Marco to make you think twice about ever trying the soup!” Development was coming to Marco Island and Coconut Island itself was divided up into 100 foot strips and sold off as privately owned parcels by the mid 1960’s.

Francis Howard standing on a makeshift dock at Coconut Island bringing in a shark for processing. Just off the dock can be seen the Great White Shark caught that day with a bite taken out of its pectoral fin.

A major change also happened in the shark skin business: while Francis and other fishermen of his time had caught a few sharks by hooks and lines, the industry changed after sharking on Marco had ceased, as it became routine for large vessels to net hundreds of sharks at a time. In fact, by the mid-1980’s, from its world production of shark hides, Ocean Leather Company was handling around 50,000 shark skins annually. That number probably pales by the amount of sharks caught for their fins by the Chinese.

Meanwhile, the growing environmental movement did not bid well for the growing shark industry. Research revealed that sharks have a very slow growth rate, come to sexual maturity late in life and have relatively few offspring after a long gestation period. For a number of years, the number of sharks harvested was twice the number of new sharks born, creating an alarming situation.

Between 2004 and 2008, an estimated 800,000 sharks were killed by recreational fisherman off the Gulf coast and the Atlantic Ocean. Research from North Carolina pointed out that when the shark population declined, the ray population increased from having no natural predators. As a result, more rays ate more bay scallops creating an economic loss of local commercial scallop fisheries. As the predator of the seas, sharks keep fish populations healthy by eating the sick or injured and by scavenging the dead.

There are now Federal and Florida laws protecting sharks with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission listing 25 different varieties as Protected (Prohibited) Species. A year ago, on January 1, 2012 Florida added Tiger sharks and three different types of Hammerheads to the list of sharks that are prohibited from all harvest, possession, landing, purchase, sale or exchange because their populations had declined by over 50 percent. Ocean Leather Corporation (as it was later known) is no longer in existence. The decline of business in shark skins is attributed to the popularity of eating shark meat which requires that the shark be put on ice, which spoils the hides while the skin remains intact to protect the meat. Today, many shark products including shark skin, as well as shark cartilage pills (presumably to ward off cancer) are produced in China.

Coconut Island continued to grow smaller and smaller and shifted to the south and then completely disappeared in 2005. Coconut Island had existed for 45 years, from 1960 to 2005, and in similar fashion, the knowledge that there once was commercial shark fishing on Marco has also faded away.

I want to thank David Johnson, Faye Brown and Lois Crews for sharing their memories of Marco commercial “sharking” with me.

Capt. Pete Rapps

Pete@CaptainRapps.com

John Argay with a Sheepshead. Photos by CAPT PETE RAPPS

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 are sometimes referred to as the convict fish, Seabream Sheepshead and Southern Sheepshead. They are distributed in the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, with the densest populations being here in Southwest Florida. Sheepshead are also found in smaller numbers off the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America, south to Brazil.

The teeth of the sheepshead include well-defined incisors, grinders and molars. In the front of its mouth are the incisor- like teeth. These teeth look nothing like any other fish’s, but more resemble that of a human. I had an orthodontist out last fall, who was completely intrigued with the teeth of the Sheepshead. It was funny; he spent a good part of the day admiring the fish’s teeth.

Rachel and Corey with a Sheepshead.

Sheepshead are most commonly caught in our area in the 2-5 pound range and average 12”-18” in length. They must be at least 12” to keep and currently the catch limit is 15 per person per day. They are thought to live about 20 years and can grow to about 20 pounds. They reach reproductive maturity in about two years. During the fall and winter spawning season, they are thought to lay between 10,000 to 70,000 eggs every 28 days.

Sheepshead are omnivorous fish, feeding primarily on small crabs, oysters, clams and shrimp. The sheepshead uses its impressive teeth to crush shelled prey and to scrape barnacles from rocks and pilings.

Sheepshead are highly valued for human consumption due to their mild flavor and delicate white flesh. They are difficult to clean and fillet because of the sharp spines on their back and thick skin and scales. At the fillet table, I like to use a pair of thick gloves to handle the fish, and an electric fillet knife to cut through their thick skin.

When fishing for sheepshead, I like to use live shrimp with a 2’-3’ long leader made of 20# test fluorocarbon and a #2 hook. They will feed very lightly….. you will think a small snapper is nibbling on your bait. The trick here is to let him eat for a few seconds before trying to set the hook. It takes patience and discipline to hook these tricksters, but once you do it a few times, you will get the hang of it.

Captain Rapps’ Fishing Charters offer expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. Capt. Rapps’ top notch guides accommodate men, women, & children of all ages, experienced or not, and those with special needs. Between their vast knowledge & experience of the area, and easy going demeanors, you are guaranteed to have a great day. Book your charter 24/7 using the online booking calendar, and see Capt Rapps’ first class web site for Booking info, Videos, Recipes, Seasonings, and more at www.CaptainRapps.com

Nate Augustus

rubeejaw@aol.com

Walk the boardwalk at Collier-Seminole while humming along to the bluegrass tunes.
Photos by Natalie Strom

Collier-Seminole State Park is a nice quiet spot, centrally located from Marco, Naples and Everglades City and a mere hop, skip and a jump away from any of them. The park is a wonderful place to enjoy the natural beauty of our area. The park offers visitors a number of year round activities, including camping, canoeing, hiking, fishing, boating, bicycling and exploring the cypress swamps. The salt marshes, mangrove river estuaries and pine flat woods of Collier Seminole hold many different native species. Among them, American alligators, raccoons, osprey, white ibis, wood storks, bald eagles, red cockaded woodpecker, crocodiles, fox squirrels and even the Florida black bear. I know, y’all are starting to wonder what all this has to do with music. After all, this is a music column…isn’t it? Well, if you were a red cockaded woodpecker living in the swamp, wouldn’t you want to hear good music?

Of course you wood! So, the folks at the park have been planning an exciting season of events for all the park’s animals, and us humans! Filled with exciting music concerts featuring artists from around the globe, their Annual Jammin’ in the Hammock” Bluegrass Festival, a wonderful selection of guest speakers and even guided canoe trips through the parks waterways. OK, so maybe the animals aren’t quite so thrilled about paddling, but who wouldn’t want to go enjoy a taste of Old Florida at Collier Seminole Park?

I have surely enjoyed the park over the years living here only a few miles from, what the old time locals still call “Royal Hammock.” The Bay City walking dredge that lives in the park is quite a sight to see. It is the invention that basically built the Tamiami Trail, and is a giant menacing looking metal creature, bigger than most houses. If you haven’t seen it, that alone is reason to go to the park.

We will be seeing a different side of the state park this season with some fun for the community. So here’s the good stuff you don’t wanna miss out on.

“VELLAMO – Folk Tales from Finland”

Tuesday, January 29, 7 PM

Featuring Pia Leinonen and Joni Tiala from Vaasa, Finland. Their music combines the rich tradition of Finnish folksong with an appealing “retro” sensibility, creating an exotic and magical acoustic experience. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased at the park.

6th Annual “Jammin’ in the Hammock” Bluegrass Festival

Saturday, February 9, 10 AM – 6 PM

Sunday, February 10, 9:30 AM – 6 PM

*At 9:30 AM on Sunday there will be a gospel jam to start the day

Hosted by the Friends of Collier-Seminole State Park, Jammin’ in the Hammock raises money for the park. Entry fee is $15 per person per day or $25 for both days. Children under 13, accompanied by an adult are free. Camping reservations can be made at Reserve America: 1-800-326-3521. Dry camping is limited and on a first come basis.

There will be plenty o’ bluegrass and arts and crafts, food and non-profit booths will line the park. Bring a chair!!! Here’s the schedule:

SATURDAY

10-11 AM: Ernie Evans & Florida State Fiddle Show Bluegrass Band

11-12 PM: Gary Mackey Fiddle Show

1-2 PM: The Bean Pickers

2-3 PM: Danny Stanley and the Bluegrass Gentlemen

3-4 PM: Ernie Evans & Florida State Fiddle Show Bluegrass Band

4-5 PM: Bug Tussle Ramblers

5-6 PM: Gary Mackey Fiddle Show

SUNDAY

9:30 -10 AM: Bluegrass Gospel Jam

10-11 AM: Gary Mackey Fiddle Show

11-12 PM: The Laws

1-2 PM: Bug Tussle Ramblers

2-3 PM: Gary Mackey Fiddle Show

3-4 PM: Danny Stanley & the Bluegrass Gentlemen

4-5 PM: The Bean Pickers

5-6 PM: The Laws

Guest Speaker

Wednesday Series.

Located in the Campground Activity Screen Room

January 30, 7 PM

Rick Majors, author of “Dark Caribbean,” “The McKannahas,” “The Face Painter” and “America.”

February 6, 3 PM

Local historian, Marya Repko discusses “Marjory Stoneman Douglas – Famous author of ‘The River of Grass.’”

February 20, 7 PM

Rick Magers, author of “Dark Caribbean,” “The McKannahas,” “The Face Painter” “America.”

Collier-Seminole State Park is located at 20200 Tamiami Trail East, Naples. For further information call 239-394-3397 or flordiestateparks.org/collierseminole.

See you at the Hammock!

Nate Augustus is a native “Florida cracker” and a singer/songwriter from the Marco/Naples area. His band, “Gator Nate & The Gladezmen” and his “One-Man-Band” can be seen at many local venues. He has released multiple albums on his record label “SwampSong”. For more info on Nate and his musical doings, go to www.Gladezmen.com or facebook.com/NateAugustus His latest CD “Gator Nate Augustus-Only Child Family Band” is available on CDBaby and Itunes.

OTHER UPCOMING FESTIVALS:

* Goodland Mullet Festival with live music at Stan’s, Little Bar and Marker 8 Restaurant.

* Everglades Seafood Festival Feb 8, 9 &10. Featuring Jerrod Neiman, One Night Rodeo, GatorNate n’ the Gladezmen and lots more.

* Marco Island Seafood Festival March 28 & 29th at Veteran’s Park.

Major beachfront cities like Miami are banning them outright. The resort empire that is Walt Disney World in Orlando has replaced them with paper versions. The small bits of plastic straws and drinking cup lids discarded by people quickly accumulate into a giant toxic mess on beaches globally. The unsightly litter not only ruins the beauty of a pristine beach, but also strangles the birds, turtles and fish who mistake it for food.

Straws and lids are the most widely and easily littered items along most beaches, but here on Marco cooperation will hopefully trump the need for regulation. City Environmental Specialist Nancy Richie spent the past six months working with staff from the beachfront condominiums, the Hilton, and the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort to reduce plastic litter. It was a trial proposed as an alternative to a plastics ban ordinance created by the Planning Board in response to beach litter complaints: the results of community beach clean-up efforts were finding “hundreds, even thousands,” of straws, reported Richie.

“At the September meeting, representatives from the beach hotels and timeshares did speak to the proposal of the ban and ask for time to improve the situation by increased staff clean-up practices on the beach, education and signage for guests on site,” explains Richie.

The major hotels put new procedures in place, with the responsibility to keep their beach areas plastics-free in the hands of beach staff. The Hilton requires the beach grill staff to clean up after guests and conduct a walk-through at the end of each shift. Hilton General Manager Mac Chaudhry adds,“ Beach is the main attraction of our island and our staff will do our best to maintain it free of straws in front of our resort. We put a cleanup system in place three months ago and our beach grill and recreation staff is doing a great job on a daily basis to maintain the standards.”

Mike Tighe is the Resident Manager for the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, which put a similar policy in place. “We require all associates who work on the beach to sign and turn into their manager each day or night [reports]. Also, increased awareness of the long term impact on the environment and wildlife has helped motivate our team to do more. Our greatest asset is our beach. We also put up a sign on the beach hut asking our guests to help pick up trash.”

Simple steps have made a “huge difference in keeping plastic out of the sand,” says Richie. She is thrilled at the progress that’s been made and shared her findings with the Planning Board at the January 4 meeting. “There have been four organized monthly beach clean ups and daily monitoring by the Volunteer Beach Stewards. The report is extremely positive: there have been no reports of large numbers of straws on the beach. Numbers report range from zero to two or three collected straws per shift of volunteers. The hotels and property managers have stepped up education, staff beach clean-ups and signage for guests to keep the beach clean of straws and other trash.”

The signage on the Marriott’s beach area reads: “Make Every Day Earth Day;” easily done with awareness and a trash can.

Nancy Richie
NRichie@cityofmarcoisland.com

Sightings of Razorbills in Florida. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Something is going on. Razorbills, an alcid bird or a web-footed, diving seabird, have been seen all over Florida by avid birders and beach goers. A few have been reported on Marco Island’s Tigertail Beach as well as in Caxambas Pass. Being a peninsula with one of the longest coastlines in the country, Florida has seabirds, so why is it so unusual to see the Razorbills? Historically, there have only been 14 documented sightings of this species in Florida. But since early December, there have been over 20 reports from Jacksonville to Marco Island of single and flocks of the Razorbills! This is a bird rarely seen south of North Carolina! So what is going on?

Experts surmise this “invasion” is food driven. There may be a shortage of food within the Razorbills’ core range that may have driven them further south to Florida. Their core range is typically over the Continental Shelf from the Atlantic Provinces of Canada south to the mid-Atlantic United States to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A food shortage and weather conditions would drive the foraging seabirds to places south where conditions could be better.

The Razorbills forage and eat small crustaceans (krill) and small fish in the smelt family. They dive deep, gulping the krill and smelt. If the food is not there and oceanic conditions disturbed, feeding is impossible. There are reports, particularly last fall, that an unusually large Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomaly off the northeast coast, along the Continental Shelf, was approaching temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius above normal. This anomaly presumably had significant changes in types and distribution of fish and other food for the foraging seabirds. It could be an event that changes long range dispersals as NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Center states that sea surface temperatures for the first half of 2012 were the highest ever on record for the Northeast United States. Concurrently, the surface waters off Florida have been cooler than normal, so Atlantic Ocean surface water temperatures have been warm creating lack of food sources and the waters off Florida have been relatively more productive. In addition, there is a possibility that the disruption of Hurricane Sandy may have been the tipping point to drive the wayward Razorbills to Florida to seek food.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Wildlife Rehab Center has had about twenty birds brought in for care since early December from Marco Island north to Estero beaches; unfortunately all not surviving. The biologists report the birds are emaciated and exhausted. This is due to the long flight down and not enough food to sustain the long range dispersal from their normal range. The type of fish also may not be the same as the smelt they eat in their core range. Smelt tend to be oilier and may not be as nutritious to the Razorbills compared to the Gulf and southern Atlantic fare.

It is exciting to see the Razorbills in such unusual conditions and locals, but it is concerning that they are so far out of their home range. Avid birders may enjoy getting a bird on their “list” but reporting is important for population monitoring. So, if you see a Razorbill or other out of range alcids, report your sighting at www.ebird.org.

If a dead bird is found, please report http://legacy.myfwc.com/bird/default.asp. For more information on Razorbills or other shorebirds, please contact Nancy Richie, 239-389-5003 or nrichie@cityofmarcoisland.com.

For any additional information please contact Nancy Richie, Environmental Specialist, City of Marco Island at 239-389-5003 or nrichie@cityofmarcoisland.com

Patricia Huff
mulletrapper@gmail.com

Visitors are returning to the wonders of the Everglades and it’s great to welcome them to south Florida. So many interesting activities are happening around town. On January 11, our Everglades Society for Historical Preservation is sponsoring a free movie night with two episodes of the 1960s TV series “Lincoln Vail of the Everglades.” The event begins at 5:30 PM. at the Everglades Community Church Jinkins Fellowship Hall. For information, call 239-695-2905 or visit website www.evergladeshistorical.org.

Painting by Megan Kissinger. Submitted photo

On Saturday, January 12, we have a full day with Art-in-the-Glades at McLeod Park on the Circle from 10AM to 2PM. There will also be food and live music and the reception to meet the featured artist Megan Kissinger in the Pauline Reeves Gallery at the Museum of the Everglades is from 1PM to 3PM.

Megan is a native Floridian, living and working in Southwest Florida. Her main interest lies in forms, textures and rhythms of living things. Avian and floral images, both figurative and abstract, are an almost constant theme running throughout most of her creative efforts. Megan traditionally employs charcoal or paint on canvas and believes that in many ways her art isn’t as much of a product as a service. “If I never made a penny on my work, I’d still be out there painting away,” she confesses. “And, I love teaching people about nature with my art.”

To see Megan’s work online, visit website www.megankissinger.com. For more information about the Museum and her exhibit, call 239-695-0008 or visit website www.evergladesmuseum.org.

On Sunday, January 13, the Friends of Fakahatchee will be hosting the popular Fakahatchee Island boat tour beginning at 3PM. A naturalist will guide visitors up the shell mound path to the ancient cemetery. For more information, call 239-695-1023 or visit website www.orchidswamp.org and click on “Events.”

The annual Turkey Shoot, sponsored by our local Lions Club, will be held on Saturday/Sunday, January 19/20, from noon until 5PM at the Observation Tower across from the Everglades National Park. Food and drink will be available for purchase, and there will be a raffle drawing hourly. For information, call Dottie at 239-695-3781.

Everglades City is surrounded by our wonderful state and national parks. There are many exciting programs during this winter season. To take advantage of all the events in our national and state parks, here are some links to their programs of walks, talks and other activities:

Everglades National Park: www.nps.gov/ever. Big Cypress National Preserve: www.nps.gov/bicy. Fakahatchee: www.orchidswamp.org. Rookery Bay: www.rookerybay.org

For a complete listing of all the Everglades area events, The Mullet Rapper has developed a new events calendar for 2013 available online at www.evergadesmulletrapper.com (on “Inserts”).

Patricia Huff has lived in Everglades City for the past 18 years and is the Publisher of the local newspaper The Mullet Rapper. To learn more about events and activities in the Everglades City area, visit website www.evergladesmulletrapper.com

Capt. Pete Rapps
Pete@CaptainRapps.com

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.

Ingredients, above, and served, inset. PHOTOS BY CAPT PETE RAPPS

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 coat the Lobster meat with olive oil and some Captain Rapps’ Marco Rico Seasoning. Grill them meat side up on medium for about 10 minutes, then flip them over for about 3-4 minutes to get a little char on the meat and they are done.

After they cool for a few minutes, remove the meat from the shell and chop it up into small pieces. Put it in a bowl and add olive oil, garlic, onion, lime juice, teriyaki sauce, and Captain Rapps’ Marco Rico Seasoning. Put in fridge and let marinate for about 10-15 minutes. Now cut up 2 Hass Avocados and mix in with marinated lobster mixture. Season with more Captain Rapps’ Marco Rico Seasoning to taste. Serve in Margarita glasses with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

2 Average size Florida Spiny Lobster tails

2 Ripe Hass Avocados

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBS Chopped Garlic

¼ Cup Chopped Vidalia Onion

2 TBS Lime Juice

1 TBS Teriyaki Sauce

1 TBS Captain Rapps’ Marco Rico Seasoning

Enjoy!

Captain Rapps’ Fishing Charters offer expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park.  Capt. Rapps’ top notch guides accommodate men, women, & children of all ages, experienced or not, and those with special needs. Between their vast knowledge & experience of the area, and easy going demeanors, you are guaranteed to have a great day. Book your charter 24/7 using the online booking calendar, and see Capt Rapps’ first class web site for Booking info, Videos, Recipes, Seasonings, and more at www.CaptainRapps.com

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 achieving initial success may be greater than when targeting red fish or snook. Whether you are a novice or an experienced angler, snapper fishing provides excitement, fun, challenge and, at times, non stop action, which makes it a great fish to target as a beginner as well as an experienced angler.

It is true that catching small snappers can be fairly easy once you find them as they are less cautious and more impulsive than their older and larger counterparts who have been tagged as the most wary fish when it comes to a baited hook. Most mangrove snappers caught in the numerous back country areas of SW Florida are less than 14 inches in length. Let me assure you that a “keeper” mangrove snapper (10 inches or more) will impress you for both its game qualities as well as its value on the dinner table!

Mangrove and gray snapper are plentiful and make a great meal. Submitted Photo

When snapper fishing, it is quite common to catch a couple of small ones before the remainder suddenly get a case of lock jaw and stop biting altogether. Large snappers will often swim around bait, knocking into it and closely inspecting it prior to striking. To provoke a sizable snapper to strike, you are best to use light fluorocarbon leaders and tackle with small hooks which provide the most natural presentation of the bait in the water. Live bait including baitfish or minnows and shrimp make the best baits when targeting snappers. When you become skilled enough to deceive the big ones, the battle waged by the snapper will surprise you. These sporty fish will often swim right toward you creating slack in the line and subsequently a lost fish. Additionally, they often swim sideways to maximize leverage or dive or sound toward the bottom or around structure. These hard-fighting members of the snapper family are pound-for-pound one of the fiercest fighting fish found, which makes them a great challenge on light tackle. Be sure to keep your line tight, and rod tip up when you hook a mangrove to avoid a lost fish Having plenty of bait available is a must when seeking the mangrove snapper as they are known to be avid bait stealers.

As for food quality, the flesh of the mangrove snapper is firm, white and flaky and can be prepared just about any way for a delicious meal. Although you will need more than one gray to feed the family, the reward of a most delectable meal will be well worth it!

Tight Lines!

Captain Mary specializes in fishing the beautiful Ten Thousand Islands. She holds a “six pack” captains license and has a knack for finding fish. A passionate angler possessing over 35 years of extensive experience in both back country and offshore fishing, Mary offers fishing expeditions through her Island Girls Charters company. When fishing with Captain Mary, you will be exposed to a variety of successful techniques including cast and retrieve, drift fishing, bottom fishing and sight fishing.  Visit www.islandgirlscharters.com to learn about fishing with Capt. Mary.

Thousands Island. On the way, you will probably see dolphins cavorting with the tour boat. When you arrive at Fakahatchee Island, a naturalist will point out unusual plants on the path up the ancient shell mound to the old cemetery. On the return journey, the boat passes by a famous rookery where the birds will be settling down for the evening.

We might think of “Fakahatchee” as a swamp with Ghost Orchids and Florida Panthers but to many local Gulf Coast families, it was the Fakahatchee Island that was important. In fact, it even had a school! That was back in the early 1900s when farmers and fishermen had settled around Fakahatchee Bay, west of Chokoloskee, and scratched out a living. They grew fruits and veggies to sail to market in Key West. And, they fished. Salted mullet by the barrel brought in much-need funds. What remains today is memories – and a cemetery, cisterns, a cow dip, and some wonderful unspoilt landscape with rare plants.

The Friends of Fakahatchee are repeating their successful Fakahatchee Coastal Cruise on January 13, February 2, February 15, March 2, March 13, and March 25. The event begins with a talk about the history of the area at the Everglades National Park Ranger Station in Everglades City at 3:00 p.m.

Participants will then be ferried to the island by Everglades National Park Boat Tours. The event ends around 6:00 p.m. back in Everglades City where there are interesting restaurants in which to enjoy the area’s signature stone crabs and other delicacies.

This is a unique opportunity to learn about our outer islands and the communities that existed in olden times. It is also a chance to see a Ten Thousand Islands ecology that has not changed for over fifty years!

For information about the Fakahatchee Coastal Cruise, phone Pam at (239) 695-1023 or see www.orchidswamp.org and click on Events Schedule. Places (at $75 per person) are limited.

natalie@coastalbreezenews.com

In an effort to develop a statewide trail and paddle system, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Division of Recreation and Parks recently updated the overall vision for the Florida Greenways and Trails System (FGTS). The new five-year plan lists the River of Grass Greenway as a priority.

In early fall, the Division of Recreation and Parks launched the new plan, calling for public comment on what specific trails and paddle ways should be considered areas of initial importance. After hosting six public meetings throughout the state, opportunity and priority maps were developed. This is the first new plan since the inception of the FGTS in 1999.

The new vision is to utilize “existing, planned and conceptual trails and ecological greenways to form a connected, integrated statewide network. The FGTS serves as a green infrastructure plan for Florida, tying together the greenways and trails plans and planning activities of communities, agencies and non-profits throughout Florida.”

The River of Grass Greenway (ROGG) would run parallel to the Tamiami Trail, connecting the Naples/Marco area to Miami. The pathway would also bear south for three miles to include Everglades City. Plans are for a hard-surfaced, 12-14 foot wide corridor that would be separate from the highway and would allow for bicycling, walking, bird watching, photography, fishing and an overall enjoyment of the nature of the Everglades. Initially developed by the Naples Pathways Coalition, a volunteer organization, the River of Grass Greenway would extend more than 70 miles through the Everglades.

Although the River of Grass Greenway has been defined as a priority, establishing and connecting routes along the FGTS relies on the collective effort of many programs and partners. A single trail project alone can require significant effort to complete, a fact that the Naples Pathways Coalition is all too familiar with.

A portion of the ROGG was given the number one priority for a Transportation Grant in the Spring of this year by both Lee and Collier Counties. Each year, the Florida Department of Transportation publishes its five-year work plan and it was expected that the River of Grass Greenway would be among the top priorities. Unfortunately, the ROGG was left out of the five-year plan completely when it was reviewed at the December 14 Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board Meeting.

Over 70 emails were sent to the MPO requesting to turn down the DOT’s five-year plan unless the ROGG was included. In what was considered a partial victory, the plan will be reworked and reviewed at the June 2013 MPO Meeting. MPO Executive Director Lucilla Ayer suggested that the ROGG be given high priority since there is broad community support for it and because both the Lee and Collier MPO’s agreed that this project should have the number one priority in receiving the Transportation Enhancement Grant Funding.

To learn more about the River of Grass Greenway, visit www.riverofgrassgreenway.org. Sign up to become a FROGG (Friend of the River of Grass Greenway) and support the River of Grass Greenway effort.

Patricia Huff
mulletrapper@gmail.com

First of all, a very Happy New Year to everyone! We have had so many readers who have come to Everglades City and our surrounding area to enjoy the wonders of our natural environment. It is only by visiting our community and the parks that people will understand how truly unique and inspiring our little place in southwest Florida really is.

On this last weekend of 2012 the PANCAKE FLY-IN will be hosted by Wings 10,000 Islands Tours and will take place at Everglades Airpark on Saturday, December 29, from 10 AM. until noon. Everyone is welcome. For information, phone Chuck at (239) 695-3296.

The Florida National Scenic Trail celebrates its 30th Anniversary during 2013. To mark this momentous occasion, staff from the US Forest Service and the National Park Service, along with Florida Trail Association volunteers, will dedicate the Southern Terminus with a monument on January 4, at 10 AM, at the Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve, located at 52105 Tamiami Trail East in Ochopee. The Preserve is home to nearly 40 miles of the Scenic Trail. For more information visit website at www.fs.usda.gov/fnst. To learn more about hiking and volunteering opportunities, see website www.floridatrail.org/. For more on hiking opportunities in Big Cypress National Preserve visit www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/hiking.

Plan ahead for the following weekend with many more activities in the Everglades. Join us for two episodes of the 1960’s TV series “The Everglades” (and free popcorn & soda!) in a nostalgic Movie Night on Friday, January 11, at 5:30 PM in the Jinkins Fellowship Hall at Everglades Community Church on the Circle in Everglades City. This event is sponsored by the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation. It is free of charge and open to the public. For information, see www.evergladeshistorical.org or phone (239) 695-2905.

Handmade crafts await. Photos by Marya Repko

On Saturday, January 12, our monthly Art-in-the-Glades will start at 10 AM at our McLeod Community Park on the Circle. In addition to the arts and crafts booths, there will be live music and food for purchase. To set up a booth at no charge, contact Marya Repko at (239) 695-2905. This event will end at 2 PM. You may also enjoy attending the artist reception from 1 to 3 PM at the Museum of the Everglades (across from the Park at 105 W. Broadway) to meet Megan Kissinger who will be exhibiting her work in the Pauline Reeves Gallery. Call (239) 695-0008 for more information. At 5:30 PM the Friends of Fakahatchee are hosting a photographic presentation about “Orchids Lost & Found in Cuba” by dynamic speakers Mike Owen & Dennis Giardina who were invited to give a paper at an international conference in that country. This event will be held at Lely in Naples. For information, phone (239) 695-2905 or see www.orchidswamp.org. and click on Events.

Make your reservations yearly to visit historic Fakahatchee Island on Sunday, January 13, on a chartered boat tour from Everglades National Park, starting at 3 PM. A naturalist will guide visitors up the shell mound path, describing rare plants, to the ancient cemetery. Cost is $75 per person. The trip is hosted by the Friends of Fakahatchee. For information and reservations, call (239) 695-1023 or see www.orchidswamp.org, click on Events where you can pay online.

If you would like to know more about what’s happening in the Everglades, visit website www.evergladesmulletrapper.com.

Patricia Huff has lived in Everglades City for the past 18 years and is the Publisher of the local newspaper The Mullet Rapper. To learn more about events and activities in the Everglades City area, visit website www.evergladesmulletrapper.com

Capt. Pete Rapps
Pete@CaptainRapps.com

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!

Winter Trout. PHOTOS BY Capt. Pete Rapps

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 and New moons. If you get caught in a -.5 low tide that you did not anticipate, it could ruin your day. Be extra careful with the morning low tides January 8th-14th, and the 25th -28th. I use www.Saltwatertides.com to view local tides in the areas that I fish. You can also go to www.coastalbreezenews.com for daily tide information.

Speckled Sea Trout are a primary target all winter. Local rules for our area allow four per person, between 15” and 20”, and allow you to keep just one over the 20” mark. These rules do vary so be sure to confirm them with current regulations by the FWC at www.myfwc.com.

The shallow grass flats are alive with Trout, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Jacks, Spanish Macks and some Pompano. One my favorites are DOA jerkbaits and shrimp, both in root beer and white color. You can also use 3/8 oz bucktail type jigs tipped with a very small piece of shrimp. A favorite “go to” bait has been 3” Berkley Gulp Shrimp. Use them on a ¼ oz Cotee Live Eye jig head.

The oyster bars hold Sheepshead & Redfish. If presenting natural bait, they both like to eat crustaceans like shrimp, sand fleas and fiddler crabs. Fish for these guys on the oyster bars on the incoming tide. Your baits can be presented under a popping cork or free lined on a hook.

Back Country Snook.

Snook are being caught but please remember that they are catch and release only, and still in a recovery state since the ten-day freeze of 2010. Take a quick photo and quickly set them free.

We have been catching some nice Snook over oyster bars on good moving outgoing tides. They have been hitting a variety of baits including jigs, soft plastics, and live bait like some nice 3” long live Pilchards.

We now have a new bait and tackle shop in Everglades City. It is called Everglades Bait and Tackle and it is located in the same building as the grocery store, across from City Hall. One thing I really like is that they are open at 6:00 AM so us early birds can get our live shrimp early and head right out on the water.

Captain Rapps’ Fishing Charters offers expert guided, light tackle, near shore, and backwater fishing trips in the 10,000 Islands of the Everglades National Park. Capt. Rapps’ top notch guides accommodate men, women, & children of all ages, experienced or not, and those with special needs. Between their vast knowledge & experience of the area, and easy going demeanors, you are guaranteed to have a great day. Book your charter 24/7 using the online booking calendar, and see Capt Rapps’ first class web site for Booking info, Videos, Recipes, Seasonings, and more at www.CaptainRapps.com