Wednesday, October 22, 2014

A little present for my 2 readers.


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

I'm Still Here....

just a lttle check in for my 3 followers:  I'm still alive.  Right now, I'm stuck in an assisted living envirpnment, back in the wheelchair, and likely for good. 

Soooooooooo.........

I need to look into a nurse who loves fishing as much as I do.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Sail Specs, 18 ft^2

I'll be using a lateen rig sail for the conversion to an outrigger sail/rowing/motor canoe.  I'll be using a 4 oz Dacron for the sailcloth in white, with a wind area of 18ft^2, with a bamboo mast and upper and lower spars like a Sunfish rig.  The mast will be unstayed with a socket tabernacle/keel block, held in place by halyard pressure like the AMF/Alcort Sunfish.


Friday, June 13, 2014

Thoughts on the outrigger design

I was thinking, essentially, all I need is a pair of flotation chambers, that are cylindrical, and angled higher in the front than the back.  So, how about a pair of 6'x6" sections of PVC pipe with the ends capped and glued, and the outrigger struts of 2" Heavy walled PVC, and attached to the boat at the aluminum crossbraces with zip ties.  The idea is to have them be securely mountable, but easily removable for trailering the canoe.

They will need to be wide enough from the rails to allow for oars, since I also have the boat set up with oarlocks for rowing like a single racing scull shell for exercise for nonpowered trolling on the ICW.  The width will also need to be there for stability with the outboard running....a  2 1/2 HP outboard will really kick a canoe along fast in relation to the hull design and it's not a Gheeno with planing chines for stability, but will be as fast as one.   My canoe isn't a flatback, it's a double ender classic canoe.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Using a canoe for fishing the ICW and Flats

OK, I'm starting a new project.  I'm making some mods to my old canoe to put my little 2 1/2 HP outboard on it and adding a couple stability outrigger/floats so I can do standing casts and throw my castnet from the canoe without tipping.  I also need a bit more stability getting in and out of the boat, since my left leg is partially paralyzed and significantly weaker than the right after my strokes.

This will allow me to go after some areas that the big fish hang out, away from the herds at the causeways and piers.  The motor will really help me with tidal currents, too.  It;'s not real easy paddling or rowing against the tide......much like kayaking the rapids, but going up stream.

I have a design on process for a pair of epoxy sealed plywood streamlined floats for the dual outriggers.  For the framework, I'm planning on PVC pipe and clamps for the gunwhales of the canoe.  I'll be posting the progress and make the design and specs available here in the Fishing Report for free, as well.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Memories of my Grandfather

My Grandfather on my Dad's side was a true fisherman.  It was more an avocation with him than a sport or hobby.  It centered him and gave him peace.  This is something I can identify with totally.

My best memory of my Grandfather was brought to the fore, yesterday, when I was fighting that big Stingray.  The memory took me back to when I was around 5 years old, just before my Grampa died.  We were down at the channel by the boathouse at Cedar Point.  I had just caught my very first fish......a tiny little Bluegill.  I was using a toy fishing pole he'd bought me to play with with white cotton string and a hook and a bobber.  Simplicity itself.  When I caught the fish, I think Grampa was likely more surprised than I was.  I learned a couple lessons or so that day.

First lesson:  A fisherman always baits his own hook.
Second lesson:  A fisherman always takes his own fish off the hook
Third lesson:  If a fish is too small, put it back to grow up, and if a fish is really, really, really big and full of eggs, put it back because it keeps fish there for us to catch as part of the fish vs fisherman cycle.

After we were done with the fishing, we were at the hand pump, washing our hands to get ready to make a tomato sandwich from his little tomato patch by the boathouse, he  told me he had a secret to tell me that all fishermen eventually learn.  This secret is that fishing lines can sing.  All it takes is a fish big and heavy enough that it takes the line tension right to the edge of it's breaking strain for a steady pull.  This tension is a lot higher than the sudden breaking strain rating of, say, 30 pound test monofilament.  The tension on the line, the breeze, and the vibrations the fish imparts to the line trying to pull away, create a ringing, high pitched tone, much like how a guitar string or violin string creates a tone......there just isn't a sound board to amplify it, so you just barely hear it.

This brings me to my fight with the stingray yesterday.  I finally heard the line sing, yesterday.  I was fighting a near 300 pound fish on 30 pound test, and the ray was pulling the line right to it's edge of strength and stripping line in spite of the drag being cranked down tight.  Underneath the reels drag ratchet, I heard this clear ringing tone right at the top of my hearing range, a ringing tone that got deeper as the length of my line increased and the harmonic oscillation of the line changed frequencies, and went up in pitch again as I was able to win back line as well.

That was when I had the Eureka moment and realized that this must have been what Grampa L had been talking about to me.In fact, I remembered so clearly that I could literally see him, and hear him talking to me.  It was a perfect recollection.  It was a connection that stretched over a 50 year span, but was like it was just yesterday, at the same time, and it took me back to an innocent time.  I'm very grateful for that!  I'd love to be able to go fishing now with him, and now, in a way, I am.  As long as we're remembered BY someone, we still have an existence and attachment in this world, and fishing is my connection with him.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Bonnethead Shark, It's What's For Dinner!

Today was a nice day over at Jensen Beach causeway.  Fishing was slow with only 3 bites all day, but it was still profitable, so to speak.  I had a good solid catch of a 3 foot Bonnethead Shark, for one thing.


3 foot Bonnethead Shark
Meet Ms Bonnethead.  This is a female.

I'm thinking how good this fish is going to taste, smoked with Applewood
Fish score today at the causeway:  Me, 2 wins-1 tie-0 losses, fish,0 wins-1 tie-2 losses.  Landed fish were the bonnethead and a hardhead catfish I tossed back....it was an anticlimax after the shark.  Last fish, I actually managed to get to the causeway pier before it had to be cut loose.  It was a really big stingray, about 4 feet across the wings and about 10 feet long, counting the tail.  It had to weigh in around 250-300 pounds, give or take.

We had to cut it loose, because:

 a) it was just too big for the landing net.  It woiuldn't even fit in to the hoop and I have a big hoop on my net and even if I got it into the net, it was too heavy for it!

b), I didn't have the 5 or so guys with gaff hooks to haul it out and onto the pier.  I still count that as having successfully catching the fish, though, and only wish my wife had been able to get the picture of the fish.

The coolest aspect of the whole ray fight is I finally got to hear something my Grandpa told me about when I was a wee kid and he was teaching me to fish with my little toy fishing pole in the channel behind the cottage:  I got to hear my fishing line singing, right at the edge of it's breaking strain.  There was this high pitched musical note ringing off the line, right up at the top edge of my hearing range.  How cool is that?

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Gaftopsail Catfish Fishing

The subject today is Gaffies, or Gaftopsail Catfish, or Sailcats, as they are referred to. 
Gaftopsail Catfish (courtesy to Florida Wildlife Commission)



They are an interesting fish to catch.   They're pretty staunch fighters and hit fast and hard.  Their fighting style is very similar to Channel Cats in fresh water.  They are regarded down here in Florida as an undesirable fish if you're fishing for table fare, though.  They have 2 barbels on the chin, and enormous, serrated spikes in their dorsal and pectoral fins and if you get horned by one, you're going to be visiting your doctor for some antibiotics and a tetanus shot, I'm afraid. 

Their skin, like their smaller, more common cousin in salt water, the Hardhead Cat, is covered with a slimy mucus.  I wear gripping gloves when I handle them to reduce getting horned, and help me hang on to the fish a lot more easily.

note the gripping gloves as I remove the fish from the landing net (Photo:  Earlena Leonard,
©
2014 all rights reserved


Gaftopsail Cats get their name from the way that their dorsal fin looks like the topsail on a sailing ship.  They don't get to be huge fish, with the world record being a hair over 10 pounds.  The Florida State Record is 8 pounds, 14 oz, and mine missed that by weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 oz.

Still, record fish or not, they are a nice fight when you get one hooked.  You'll know when you have a hit because you'll start spooling out line fast fast enough to make the drag ratchet clicker sing until you tighten down the drag and set the hook.  Personally, I use Kahle hooks, because like the circle hook, they are essentially a self setting hook, unlike the J Hook.

Kahle Hook



Octopus Circle Hook
Now, there is an ethical debate on Kahle ves Circle hooks surrounding "gut hooking" a fish.  Here's the deal....if you're going to catch and release, the circle hook is less likely to be swallowed by the fish and gut hook them.  The Hahle hooks I use are equally effective, I've found, and are easier to bait with live shrimp.  The other thing:  I'm not a catch and release fisherman with most of the fish I catch......I harvest and eat them.  For me, the Kahle hook suits my needs better, to put it simply.  Both are self setters as the fish spins away to take off, but the Kahle just does it better, especially with catfish, either fresh or salt water varieties.  The reason is because the circle barb points inward toward the back of the hook shaft and the kahle points at the eye of the hook.

So, what bait works for Sailcats?  Well, I've caught 'em on both live and frozen shrimp, frozen white shrimp from the grocery freezer, cut bait from various baitfish such as Pinfish, Finger mullet, Croakers I've caught, Greenies from cast netting.  I've also caught them on freezer burned fish from the stuff I may have lost in the freezer, and of course, squid works, as well.  They are a predator fish, much like their freshwater cousins, Channel and Blue Cats.\

The habitat of the sailcat is inshore and continental waters, estuaries, and lagoons.  They will enter brackish water, as well.  Their diet is small crustaceans, smaller fish and minnows, and the opportunistic bits of floating fish from larger fish predation.

Note the sail like appearance of the dorsal fin, and the really big barbs on both the dorsal and pectoral fins
Now, you've caught a mess of Sailcats, what do you do with them?  Well, you clean them, fillet them and fry 'em up in cornmeal, or you can make this recipe below.....but before we get into that, let's talk about cleaning them.  Fact is, you aren't going to get as much meat as you will, from a Flathead, Blue, or Channel Cat from fresh water.

Step 1:  Wash the catfish down in a vinegar and water solution to get the slime off of the fish and remove the head and split the belly and clean the cavity, so far, so good.  I like top cut the barbs off before I start cleaning the cats, though, because I really don't want to get stuck!

Step 2:  Skin the fish.  Salt water cats skins are a bit harder to pull off using the score and plier method, but it works.

Step 3:  Fillet the fish and cut out the red meat.  That's where the gamey and oily taste comes from, and leave that nice firm, pretty white fish meat.

Step 4:  Blanch the fish fillets in cold water with some citrus like lime or lemon juice in it.  I like to use Ponzu Sauce, myself for the nice flavor it gives the fish.

A nice recipe for sailcats
Personally, I fillet the fish rather than cook it whole.  I'll put the ginger in small slits in the fillets and serve this with a side of brown rice and drizzle Ponzu on the rice as well as the fish.  If you do cook the fish whole, the meat will come right off the bones, though, and either way you are in for a taste treat!  Bon appetite, and keep wetting those lines!

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

My Day Without a Wheelchair

Yesterday was at the Jensen Beach Causeway.  The weather was windy, but generally very nice  The high was in the upper 80's and mostly sunny.  We arrived at the causeway at about 8:00 AM after stopping for shrimp at the Snook Nook.

The Snook Nook


Fishing wasn/\'t great for me, but they were hitting.  The lady next to me was hitting on Spanish Mackerels like they were lining up for her hook at the Golden Corral.  About every 3 minutes, she'd get a strike.  She was using shiner minnows for bait.

After an hour streaming out on a bobber with no hits other than bait thieves, I cut back to a single pole and started freeline bottom fishing with a 4 oz weight at the top of the leader and I finally got a little action.  I caught a Guitarfish.  This is an ugly fish, and a member of the Ray family.  It has no whip tail or stinger and essentially lives on sandy flats and bottom feeds.
Guitarfish
You can see why it's called a Guitarfish!

Later, I took a monster strike, which I wasn't able to land, but did get close enough in to the pier to see that it was a 7 foot Bull Shark.


I thought I was going to be pulled off the pier with this one!

A little later, I did land a small Hammerhead Shark.







My wife even managed to wet a line yesterday and had a nice relaxing day, herself.  This was a day we both really needed.



All in all, though, it was a fun day.  The best part of the whole day is that I didn't have to use my wheelchair.  This is huge progress, after my strokes in September. I may get back to my catfish holes yet!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

While we live........

"Dum vivimus, vivamus! -- 'While we live, let us live!' To live, we must follow our dreams, and let no man dissuade us, even if those dreams put us potentially in harms way. Living life in bubble wrap is merely existing, and I choose to experience my life to its fullest.


That's part of why I fish.  Aside from the tasty goodness that I catch, I find fishing to be meditative, and it centers me.  Since my strokes in September, I haven't been able to fish nearly as much as I'd like to, and haven't been able to hit my secret holes for the big cats.  This is changing, though.  

My next big fishing agenda, though, is to do a charter.  I'd like to go after some of the big Pelagic fish, and since Martin County and the Treasure Coast is the Sailfish and Marlin capitol of Florida, who knows?  Maybe I'll get a monster.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Catfishing on the St Lucie Canal

Prized among catfish, the St Lucie Canal offers some really good channel cat action.  My average fish is 18-24 inches, and provide some quite tasty meals.  They are also pretty good fighters and hit like a freight train on various baits from chicken liver, to minnows and even on leftover squid from salt water fishing.
l Cats from the St Lucie Canal
The besty times for catfishing are right as the sun is coming up, or around sunset.  They also hit at night, but you have to compete with the alligators in the canal, so I don't really bother with night fishing, since my lights attract the gators.  I'm safe enough, where I fish in my secret catfish hole, because of a vertical 4 foot concrete wall the gators can't climb, but they keep eati g the fish before I can get them landed. 

Also, in the canal, is a veritable panoply of panfish, from big sunfish to bluegills that make a midwestern boy like myself, as happy as a clam with their sizes.
Bluegill and Redear Sunfish from the St Lucie Canal and Port Mayaca Retention basin
From my experiences up north and down here in Florida as well, nothing fights like a Bluegill.  I'd love to see what a 10 or 15 pound bbluegill would be like, I'm not sure you could land it on light tackle, actually. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Fishing Plans for Tomorrow

Jensen Beach Causeway and hopefully, Sailfish Point.  If I get out to Sailfish, I'll definitely post an accessibility report for wheelchair, etc.  Upcoming plans also include Hobe Sound and down around Jupiter.

Meanwhile, my wife just got her salt water license as well and will get some fishing in herself!  Booyah!  Also, given the werakness ofg my left arm after my strokes, if I hook a huge fish, she can help me land it if necessary.

Current Tide Table for Jensen Beach Causeway


2014-02-18 06:55 AM EST   Sunrise
2014-02-18 07:03 AM EST  -0.14 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-18 08:49 AM EST   Moonset
2014-02-18 12:53 PM EST   1.05 feet  High Tide
2014-02-18 06:14 PM EST   Sunset
2014-02-18 07:22 PM EST  -0.23 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-18 09:41 PM EST   Moonrise
2014-02-19 01:19 AM EST   1.05 feet  High Tide
2014-02-19 06:54 AM EST   Sunrise
2014-02-19 07:41 AM EST  -0.07 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-19 09:26 AM EST   Moonset
2014-02-19 01:30 PM EST   1.02 feet  High Tide
2014-02-19 06:15 PM EST   Sunset
2014-02-19 08:02 PM EST  -0.23 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-19 10:37 PM EST   Moonrise
2014-02-20 02:02 AM EST   1.02 feet  High Tide
2014-02-20 06:53 AM EST   Sunrise
2014-02-20 08:24 AM EST   0.01 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-20 10:07 AM EST   Moonset
2014-02-20 02:11 PM EST   0.99 feet  High Tide
2014-02-20 06:16 PM EST   Sunset
2014-02-20 08:48 PM EST  -0.21 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-20 11:34 PM EST   Moonrise
2014-02-21 02:51 AM EST   1.00 feet  High Tide
2014-02-21 06:52 AM EST   Sunrise
2014-02-21 09:15 AM EST   0.09 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-21 10:51 AM EST   Moonset
2014-02-21 02:57 PM EST   0.96 feet  High Tide
2014-02-21 06:16 PM EST   Sunset
2014-02-21 09:43 PM EST  -0.19 feet  Low Tide
2014-02-22 12:32 AM EST   Moonrise

Monday, February 3, 2014

Thought for the Day

And it's so true!

 And another truism with some fishing humor......

Ad so it goes.....time to grab a pole and go fishing!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Fishing From A Wheelchair; Part 1

As promised, I'm starting my series on wheelchair and handicap access fishing spots.  I'll be starting with the Jensen Beach Causeway.  There are two areas where access is reasonable.  One is the wood pier.  It does have one drawback....the slope pf the sidewalk when you approach the parking area os a bit steep and difficult to navigate unassisted in a chair.  Once on the pier, though it's all golden.






This brings us to the main causeway concrete pier under the bridge.  Access is excellent and it's easy to navigate with a chair.

Photography by E, Leonard


Overall, I have to give the causeway only a 4 star rating though.  There are only a couple handicap spaces for parking, and as I mentioned above the steep sidewalk slope at the wooden pier can make it interesting either up or downhill in a wheelchair.

As to the fishing?  Well, even a bad day fishing beats a day stuck at home, or in the office, or in the hospital!  I caught one small redfish, about six inches long.  It was too small to keep.  Happily, I caught it on an ultralight rig I was using to jig for baitfish for my bigger poles, so it felty like a whale on the wee little panfish rig Ugly Stick.

©2014, T Leonard, all rights reserved

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

January 2014 Tides: Jensen Beach

Tides for Jensen Beach starting with January 22, 2014.

Day        High      Tide  Height   Sunrise    Moon  Time      % Moon
           /Low      Time    Feet    Sunset                    Visible

W   22     High   2:27 AM     1.0   7:11 AM     Set 10:47 AM      73
    22      Low   8:50 AM     0.2   5:54 PM    Rise 11:46 PM
    22     High   2:39 PM     1.1
    22      Low   9:19 PM     0.1

Th  23     High   3:17 AM     1.0   7:10 AM     Set 11:26 AM      64
    23      Low   9:41 AM     0.3   5:55 PM
    23     High   3:25 PM     1.0
    23      Low  10:13 PM     0.0

F   24     High   4:14 AM     1.0   7:10 AM    Rise 12:43 AM      54
    24      Low  10:41 AM     0.4   5:56 PM     Set 12:08 PM
    24     High   4:20 PM     1.0
    24      Low  11:15 PM     0.0

Sa  25     High   5:18 AM     1.0   7:10 AM    Rise  1:43 AM      43
    25      Low  11:48 AM     0.4   5:57 PM     Set 12:55 PM
    25     High   5:24 PM     1.0

Su  26      Low  12:20 AM    -0.1   7:09 AM    Rise  2:44 AM      32
    26     High   6:26 AM     1.1   5:58 PM     Set  1:48 PM
    26      Low  12:54 PM     0.3
    26     High   6:32 PM     1.1

M   27      Low   1:23 AM    -0.3   7:09 AM    Rise  3:45 AM      22
    27     High   7:30 AM     1.2   5:58 PM     Set  2:47 PM
    27      Low   1:57 PM     0.1
    27     High   7:39 PM     1.1

Tu  28      Low   2:23 AM    -0.4   7:08 AM    Rise  4:45 AM      13
    28     High   8:29 AM     1.2   5:59 PM     Set  3:50 PM
    28      Low   2:56 PM    -0.1
    28     High   8:41 PM     1.2

W   29      Low   3:20 AM    -0.6   7:08 AM    Rise  5:43 AM      6
    29     High   9:24 AM     1.3   6:00 PM     Set  4:57 PM
    29      Low   3:51 PM    -0.2
    29     High   9:38 PM     1.3

Th  30      Low   4:14 AM    -0.6   7:08 AM    Rise  6:36 AM      1
    30     High  10:15 AM     1.3   6:01 PM     Set  6:05 PM
    30      Low   4:43 PM    -0.4
    30     High  10:32 PM     1.3

F   31      Low   5:06 AM    -0.6   7:07 AM    Rise  7:25 AM      0
    31     High  11:05 AM     1.4   6:02 PM     Set  7:12 PM
    31      Low   5:35 PM    -0.5
    31     High  11:24 PM     1.4

Sa   1      Low   5:58 AM    -0.6   7:07 AM    Rise  8:10 AM      1
     1     High  11:53 AM     1.4   6:02 PM     Set  8:18 PM
     1      Low   6:26 PM    -0.6

Su   2     High  12:15 AM     1.3   7:06 AM    Rise  8:53 AM      5
     2      Low   6:49 AM    -0.6   6:03 PM     Set  9:21 PM
     2     High  12:40 PM     1.4
     2      Low   7:16 PM    -0.6

M    3     High   1:06 AM     1.3   7:06 AM    Rise  9:35 AM      12
     3      Low   7:40 AM    -0.4   6:04 PM     Set 10:22 PM
     3     High   1:27 PM     1.3
     3      Low   8:08 PM    -0.5

Tu   4     High   1:57 AM     1.2   7:05 AM    Rise 10:15 AM      20
     4      Low   8:32 AM    -0.2   6:05 PM     Set 11:21 PM
     4     High   2:15 PM     1.2
     4      Low   9:01 PM    -0.3

Sunday, January 19, 2014

I'm Baaaaack!

OK, to catch everyone up on the last 4 months, I've been in hospital for all but 10 days due to heart issues and a cople of strokes.  I will be changing the focus somewhat in my next series of articles for the report.  I'll be discussing fishing when you are in a wheelchair or on a walker and what the various spots here in Martin, St Lucie and Okeechobee Counties have to offer.  The reason for this change of focus is because I am now in a wheelchair mostly with very limited walking ability on a walker.



Areas I know are accessible include Jensen Beach Causeway on both the mainland and Hutchinson Island sides.  There are some spots down by Hobe Sound that look promising, and then there's Sailfish Point on the Atlantic side of Hutchinson Island.  As I fish these areas, I will be rating them for access and what facilities are offered and exactly what kind of fish are best targeted there.  So, let's look forward to a great 2014 and get out there fishing, and show that the fishing is accessible to all.