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Gary Poyssick

Honored to be a small component in the battle to keep the Environmental Defense Fund, NOAA and the left from controlling our fisheries. Americans have the right to fish. Make America Aware of the travesty of progressive regulation of our fishery. Defend our right to fish. Defend our Carbon Footprints!!!!!!

Gary Anderson

NOAA, the EDF, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council and the Keep America Fishing advocates are pushing for more recreational permit programs, thus allowing those that can afford to fish to do so and those that can't, well they can just cut bait. The Keep America Fishing logo is just that, a branding or a tool for all the government ABC's to control your fishing rights and all those that joined up under the Keep America Fishing website thought it was aimed to preserve their right; where as they were really just sold a bill of goods. The Duping of America! “Fishermen who signed up for Keep America Fishing email campaigns as are now united under one voice with a group which openly supported the restrictive language written into Magnuson in 2006 and is now advocating for

building broader private angler support for catch shares in 2010,” Jim Donofrio, RFA (Recreational Fishing Alliance) Executive Director.

THE BACKBONE TO DEFENDING OUR RIGHTS TO FISH: THE ONLINE FISHERMAN DOT COM!

7.04 Bass on SIX POUND TEST, Florida Bass

North Port Backyard Bass: Topwater Euphoria!: "   Pulling into the boat ramp to unload the ‘Snapper’, our 16 foot tandem 1978 Mohawk canoe, there was an angler on the dock cast..."

And Turtles Too!

ALL had CPR given to them (Catch, Photograph, Release), "FISHON!"

Red Belly Maneating Florida Piranha!

Roosevelt presented piranhas as vicious creatures in his 1914 book Through the Brazilian Wilderness, indicating that

They are the most ferocious fish in the world. Even the most formidable fish, the sharks or the barracudas, usually attack things smaller than themselves. But the piranhas habitually attack things much larger than themselves. They will snap a finger off a hand incautiously trailed in the water; they mutilate swimmers—in every river town in Paraguay there are men who have been thus mutilated; they will rend and devour alive any wounded man or beast; for blood in the water excites them to madness. They will tear wounded wild fowl to pieces; and bite off the tails of big fish as they grow exhausted when fighting after being hooked. But the piranha is a short, deep-bodied fish, with a blunt face and a heavily undershot or projecting lower jaw which gapes widely. The razor-edged teeth are wedge-shaped like a shark’s, and the jaw muscles possess great power. The rabid, furious snaps drive the teeth through flesh and bone. The head with its short muzzle, staring malignant eyes, and gaping, cruelly armed jaws, is the embodiment of evil ferocity; and the actions of the fish exactly match its looks. I never witnessed an exhibition of such impotent, savage fury as was shown by the piranhas as they flapped on deck. When fresh from the water and thrown on the boards they uttered an extraordinary squealing sound. As they flapped about they bit with vicious eagerness at whatever presented itself. One of them flapped into a cloth and seized it with a bulldog grip. Another grasped one of its fellows; another snapped at a piece of wood, and left the teeth-marks deep therein. They are the pests of the waters, and it is necessary to be exceedingly cautious about either swimming or wading where they are found. If cattle are driven into, or of their own accord enter, the water, they are commonly not molested; but if by chance some unusually big or ferocious specimen of these fearsome fishes does bite an animal—taking off part of an ear, or perhaps of a teat from the udder of a cow—the blood brings up every member of the ravenous throng which is anywhere near, and unless the attacked animal can immediately make its escape from the water it is devoured alive.

# ^ Through the Brazilian Wilderness, Roosevelt, Theodore, 1914, Online Bartlby Edition
# ^ "Can piranhas really strip a cow to the bone in under a minute?". HowStuffWorks. http://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/piranha-eat-cows.htm. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
# ^ "Rumble in the jungle with Amazon's killer piranha". Los Angeles Times. http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-os-piranha22nov22. Retrieved 2009-08-01.

Bass-Beads

Whether you are using a G-MAG, Oversize Worm hook designed by Gamakatsu to fit magnum size tubes, worms and jerk baits or your own favorite variety, slide a colored bead onto your line before tying on the hook. Your bead will slide freely on casting giving you an advantage in catching big bass over average to little ones. Depending on water clarity and temperature, combined in matching the hatch from bugs to the guppies or minnows in the water, may allow you to do a color change on your bead. An example would be if you happen to notice a hatch of frogs, I would put on a dark color like black or green, imitating the hatch. I enjoy both fishing live baits and top waters when in my canoe, angling the canals of North Port, Florida for bass to Panfish with various beads and baits. The one item you can always find in my tacklebox is the 6MM plastic facetted bead, as they work best in finessing fish to the bite. Crappie to largemouth bass, Catfish to Bream, Bass beads deliver extra action to spinner lures, top water lures and live to dead baits in fish attracting color. Primary colors generally come in clear, red, lime, purple, green and chartreuse, though if you take the time to look or ask at your favorite bait shop, I am sure they will find or order the color of your choice. From the canal behind Fines Bait & Tackle, to all the canals that cress-cross the North Port area, east of HWY 41, you will find Largemouth Bass, a whole slew of Pan fishes, Oscars, Florida Spotted Gar, Brown Bullhead, Channel, Walking and Armor Plated catfishes. All of these fish react differently depending upon weather, approaching “Lows”, water clarity, the hatch at the time, temperature and what is about them on the sides of the canal. Urban settings tend to have less squeamish fish than do canals with no development but bridges are best in approaching the use of urban bass bead fishing in the heat of the day, for the bridge offers shelter to shade and an incoming food supply. READ THE WHOLE STORY...

THE FISH'N HOLE

Edwin and his Channel Cats
Here Kitty-Kitty In Search of Florida Channel Catfish

A Visitor...Gator Time, maybe he's fishing too...

Here Kitty-Kitty; In Search of Florida Cats
And found Ray Moss!
Channel Cat fishing, no matter where you fish, has always been a past time to cool away under an oak tree, spinning tackle to a bamboo pole, a can of worms, your favorite stink bait or just a pint of chicken livers from your local grocery. In Florida, well back in the days before electronics, a staple for the table, ranking only behind the largemouth bass in terms of anglers’ preference and hunting. The reasoning for this is that channel cats can be found in almost every freshwater stream, pond or lake, in Florida and are more than not, are willing to take any bait offering. With few to no bag limits on these prehistoric creatures, except in management areas or preserves, the tastiness of catfish fillets double dipped and fried, puts them on a lot of tables. With the new fandango electronics, fish finders, and boats that float across the skinnies, cat fishing is all but lost in Florida as the largemouth to Tarpon have taken its place. The neat thing about this stealthy fish is, all you need is time to pass the time in catching one. No boats or fancy stuff needed, here kitty-kitty, just a pole, you, and a bucket. The biggest problem in southwestern Florida, especially if you live within an arms throw to the beach is finding worms to fill your can. That is where a local bait shop sure comes in handy because a shovel and sand equal a sandy hole with no worms. You could try turning a log but this is Florida and I’m into going fishing not snake hunting. Fine Bait & Tackle, in North Port, Florida supplies all that you will ever need in any approach to catch most any fish, freshwater to salt. Operated by retired Captain Ray Moss and his partner, Beth Mayberry, they have the finest selection of worms to tackle I have seen anywhere. I ask Beth about the local freshwater scene and she is an information highway with great customer service too. Ray, was working on piecing back together someone’s favorite reel and was now in need of some TLC. Ray could have been blindfolded and doing the same job, as he talked with me about his new shop in North Port. I purchased the worms, bid my good byes and headed home to “get it on” and head down to the waters edge with all baits in hand.
Florida boasts an impressive amount of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs full of the fish on the prowl, some of the best fishing spots get overlooked because it always has been easier to go to old haunts, rather than put in the time to explore new waters. However, it doesn’t take much to plan an outing to a near-by canal with shade trees on the bank. Whither putting in your Yak or canoe to explore more or just finding a good snag on the bank in setting up your camp, urban angling can offer a wide range of fish at little to no cost in catching. Channel cats will move into creeks and rivers to spawn in secluded areas or cavities under logs or undercut banks, just as they do on rising levels on urban canals or when locks are raised. This time of year, the Channel Cats are on the spawn. The males protect the nests and become aggressive during this time, as they are pushing off the females or anything else that might eat the fry, often biting first, asking questions later. This makes them easy catching to the angler. My favorite are chicken livers, night crawlers, and stink bait and to make it interesting, try an artificial frog or bait of your choice, they will pick it up if they have the opportunity and you might get lucky, get a Bass to bite too. When a fish is on the spawn, everybody is hungry.
The best habitat for Florida channel catfish in canals, rivers, creeks and streams are the unseen obstacles such as logjams, sunken stumps, trees and clumps of the bank itself. Looking for sign of backwater flow or eddies across the flow of the stream or edges are sure tell signals of a catfish haven. The use of a slip bobber will allow you to drift your bait through eddies, around woody structures and through riffles. Using a circle hook is not only great protection from a fish swallowing a hook but with its inward point, it is almost snag less too. In cat fishing, you need a sturdy rod. Remember you just might be pulling out that monster from a logjam and I’ll bet you your catch that fish is trying to bury its self-back into the middle of it. This is the most important piece of your equipment, the hook. You will want the sharpest, most durable hook you can buy because Channel catfish have tough mouths. Cheap hooks will only straighten out when you hook it up or if you’re lucky and land this fish, will turn into a piece of twisted wire as you pull with your pliers or hook retriever. A good stout circle hook in the 1/0 size do the trick. Rigging options remain almost infinite, but the two easiest prepared bait rigs that seem to work every time for channel catfish are a barrel swivel with a slip sinker above it, attached to an 18” piece of 50 pound test leader line and your hook, the other is the same minus the slip egg weight, replaced with a pencil or slip float. Two rods rigged in this way and you can cover a lot of area from top to bottom in search of Florida cats. Remember too, if you do not have a spinning reel set up or a Zebco combo, (perfect in catching cats), bamboo poles are second to none and will produce just as many, if not more fish from the bank as a spinning set up.
Unfortunately, the overflowing bulkhead dam had no trees to sit under so it was squelching humid and hot as Edwin and I hunkered down on the bottom side of the burm. No airflow but the water flowing over the lip on the bulkhead was making a real backwash across the sidewalls. A perfect place to drop a nice slimy piece of chicken liver. The natural flow of water running downstream caused riffs to ruffles and eddies behind logs to floating grass were the perfect placement to the hook under a float and a fine looking, big fat juicy worm. I also bring along one bamboo pole, used as a stand-by while you’re on the wait for that cat. Armed with a small Balsa bobber, split shot and number 4 hook, I’m ready for any other fish too. You can even fly fish with the Boo. It is limited by poppers are fun too.
As I was waiting for a bite, I reflected back on what Rick Gassett said to me last electronically. “ I've known Ray Moss for about 20 years. When I first started in the business, Ray was guiding and working at Economy Tackle in Sarasota. He was one of the first fly-fishing guides in our area and one of a only a few doing night snook fishing. A little later, he was partners with Ad Gilbert, a retired educator and another fly-fishing guide, in a fly/fishing tackle shop at Fisherman's Wharf in Venice. Ray was also one of the first guides in our area focusing on tarpon with a fly.” On that thought the bait that was purchased at Ray’s shop, under the float did its wiggle to drop out of sight and Edwin yelled “FISH ON!”, as he fought this fish down out from under a snag. As he lifted it from the water, we noticed a friend right on its tail as Edwin scooped the landing net under this nice channel catfish, it was a three to four foot young gator. He or she, stayed with us all afternoon. I’d swear, eighty percent of my bites that took the liver were that gator, including my two cut offs? Ed on the other hand was catching cats on the top or bottom using those Fine bait and tackle worms. I wonder what Ray and Beth do with their worms, I switched over and was no longer in search of Florida channel catfish but catching them too.
I dropped back in to Fine Tackle to tell Beth and Ray of our journey and to ask a couple of questions about worms. The more you know, You know! So the next time you’re in the area and are looking for info to bait or tackle, stop on in at:
Fine Bait & Tackle
14503 US 41, North Port, FL.
Just north of Lowe’s
941-240-5981
Be sure to check out their website:
http://finebaitandtackle.com
“FISH ON!”

No Oil Here, Just Fish and Good Ole' Time Florida

An American tradition etched into my mind that of a young girl, boy or both hand to hand walking along side their dog, a can of worms, armed with a cane pole brings to life a symbol of our youth learning the importance of independence while connecting with nature. Most of us as kids started out angling much the same way. Often from the banks of a nearby creek or pond and our first catch could have been a Bream if angling in Florida. With over 10,000 miles of freshwater rivers, creeks and streams, Florida is the agglomeration of freshwater angling. As horrible as of an abomination of tainted oil slick coastlines could be in the future of the Gulf of Mexico and northward up the Atlantic seaboard, Florida’s pristine secrete still lies in its almost untouched to under fished freshwater ecosystems. Florida too has around 8,000 named lakes and ponds with scores of manmade canals jetting from the coastlines to the most inner depths of the state. Most of the salt to brackish coastline canals are assaulted with berms, dams and other retentions in keeping the freshwater fresh and the salt out; an oil barrier too. Where I live, North Port, Florida is but one of many an inland waterside town who boasts of easy access to the Gulf of Mexico. By way of canals into upper Charlotte Harbor and out through the Peace/Myakka river delta, Boca Grand, Stump Pass or the Venice Inlet far to the south, North Port is a favorite area where local saltwater guides live. Incorporated June 15, 1959, North Port is the second largest municipality, in land size in the State of Florida, forth largest in the US and the largest in Sarasota County offering a total land area of 103 square miles. The North Port area contains the City of North Port, the community of Warm Mineral Springs and other developments, like Myakka River State Park, from the eastern banks of the Myakka River to the northwest corner of Charlotte County. Some of your best fishing, in the state, is in the areas within its boundaries. Myakka River State Park is one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks. The "Florida Wild and Scenic Myakka River" flows through 45 square miles of wetlands, prairies and woodlands. Myakka is popular for hiking, fishing, camping, and wildlife observation, with no oil here, just fish!

Thirty-nine different varieties of local fish are in the surrounding waterways of Northport, including favorites such as Spotted Gar, Tarpon, Yellow Cat, Brown Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Snook, Shellcracker, Largemouth Bass, Speckled Perch, and Striped Mullet. Then there are the transplants or fish that use to be pets in somebody’s aquariums. Oscars in bass proportions are an equal fighting fish and quite tasty too. Cichlids, Carp, walking Catfish, freshwater Stingrays, Bowfin and Tilapia top off the list of non-native fish swimming in the canals of North Port with their game warden, the American Alligator, who eats a lot.

When fishing inland, on the rivers, canals or lakes you need a freshwater, saltwater or combination fishing license. Florida offers anglers year round fishing, abundant locations and a huge diversity of fishes, both freshwater and saltwater. However, anglers must have the appropriate fishing license in to legally fish. Florida freshwater fishing licenses are available in many locations through out the state. Anglers can buy them at tackle shops, sports retailers, on the internet but the most inexpensive location to purchase a Florida Freshwater Fishing License is at the local tax collectors office. Florida law requires anglers from 16 through 65 to purchase and carry a fishing license if they are freshwater fishing throughout the state, whether they are residents of Florida or not. Anglers under 16 years of age and over 65 years of age, or anglers who are fishing with a cane pole in the county where they are legal residents are not required to buy a Florida Fishing License. There are situations on Florida waters where the angler may need both a Freshwater Fishing License and a Saltwater Fishing License. In addition, not everyone aboard a boat needs to have a fishing license. Those individuals not fishing but are with other anglers do not need to have a license but non-anglers can not help with any aspect of fishing, such as even netting a fish.

The beaches may be the place to be but the most overlooked and scenic areas of Florida are but the most tranquil to visit. Offering a unique experience to old Florida charm and some of the best fishing anywhere. Whither it is fly fishing on the Wild and Scenic Myakka, canoeing the rivers to streams, bass fishing on the lakes or just a can of worms, your dog and a cane pole, there is no oil here, just fish.

“FISH ON!”

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