Grouper Cutbacks Based On Murky Data

If you fish for grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, you WILL be interested in reading an article I found in the St Petersburg Times titled "Data On Grouper Old And Murky". It was written by Stephen Nohlgren and is dated April 5, 2008.
It seems that the Gulf Of Mexico Fishery Management Council, who had plans to whack the gag grouper catch by 45%, are having to re-access the science they are using to make the regulations. With such drastic cuts on the horizon, commercial lobbyist Bobby Spaeth and Dennis O'Hern hired Trevor Kenchington, a scientist from Nova Scotia, to check the grouper data. What he found is that the governments own computer models show that gag grouper populations in the Gulf are healthier then federal scientists had originally thought.
Please click on the link below and read this article for yourself.
Data On Grouper Old And Murky
After reading this article,please leave any questions or comments you may have for the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council by clicking on COMMENTS at the bottom of this post. I will try to forward your comments to them. State your opinion, but please keep them clean, or they will be deleted.
Tony

April Tournament Calendar

Temperatures in Florida are starting to rise and tournament season is heating up. April is going to host some of the hottest tournaments of the year! Some of these are right around the corner, don’t waste any more time! Sign up today!

April 3-6, 2008 - Miami Beach
Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament
The Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament is the Premier Blue Water Event of the Year raising money for Marine Conservation!
Contact Judy Layne, fish@miamibillfish.com, 305-598-2525

April 11-13, 2008 - New Smyrna Beach
Offshore Shootout
1 day Shootout! Wahoo, Dolphin, Kingfish via Ponce De Leon Inlet. $175.00 per boat. All events held at the Brannon Center and Riverside Park in New Smyrna Beach. Captain’s meeting on April 11th. April 12th will be the sole fishing day. April 13th is the family fish fry and award ceremony.
Contact Desiree Harbster, sfandginc@yahoo.com, 386-576-3953

April 12, 2008 - Palatka
OGS Tournament Trail 2008
Team Tournament fishing for black bass on the upper St. John’s River. Safe light until 3:00 PM. Launch site: Rodeheavers Boys Ranch just South of Palatka on SR-19.
Contact Mike Oglesbee, Mike@ogspromotions.com, 386-329-9877

April 15-19, 2008 - Key West
World Sailfish Championship
The sixth annual World Sailfish Championship is returning to beautiful Key West! The World Sailfish Championship has been described as the super bowl of fishing tournaments. Over the years, many of the top teams from around the world have come to compete for the $100,000 guaranteed first-place cash prize. Come meet, compete and try to defeat the best of the best.
Contact Laura L Emmole, lemmole@worldsailfish.com, 727-631-0072

April 24-27, 2008 - Miami Beach
The Captain’s Cup
The televised fishing tournament where Captains battle for the Captain of the US title, cash, medals, trophies and bragging rights has announced the 2008 event schedule starting April 24-27, 2008 at the Miami Beach Marina.
Contact William Alonso, uscaptaincup@uscaptaincup.com

April 26, 2008 - Palatka
NEFAR Charity Bass Tournament
Northeast Florida Association of Realtors® Charity Black Bass Fishing Tournament to Benefit Hospice. $2,500 first place, entry fee is $110 per boat. Palatka City Ramp, safe light until 3:00 PM. Sorry, no canoes or air boats.
Contact Mike Oglesbee, Mike@ogspromotions.com, 386-329-9877

April 26, 2008 - Steinhatchee
4th Annual Fishing for Kids Saltwater Trout Tournament
This is an open tournament benefiting Shands Children’s Hospitals. Registration is $100 per boat and there is a guaranteed payout of $2,500. The tournament headquarters will be located at Gulfstream Marina.

April 30 - May 4, 2008 - Islamorada
Get the Net Big Game Fishing Tournament
12th Annual “Get the Net” Big Game Fishing Tournament at Islander Resort in Islamorada, Florida Keys. Over $20,000* in cash and prizes, $10,000* for bonus dolphin.
Contact Dennis Peters, getthenetcharter@bignet.net, 586-945-FISH

www.sailfishcity.com

Topless Charter Boat Gets The Boot

April 3rd, 2008

The Fort Pierce City Marina Manager, Dean Kubitschek, ejected the charter service “Smokin’ Em” charters after only 19 days. The service, ran by a local husband and wife team was asked to leave to keep from damaging the reputation of the marina as a family environment. The charter service has been running for about 3 years out of Stuart, Florida as strictly fishing charters but about 3 months ago they began offering a service they call bikini charters. For $100 a girl they will have one of the girls from their service be a mate on the boat in a bikini, bringing you food and drink, baiting hooks and putting lines in the water.

According to Kubitschek, this isn’t why the charter service was ejected from the marina. Soon after the 44′ Trojan began operating out of the marina, flyers for the bikini service began showing up in the Tiki Bar & Restuarant, which is on the same city owned land that the marina is on. The problem is the flyer featured nude women which is not in line with the image of the Tiki Bar or the City Marina. According to the charter service website, you can pay the girls an extra $50 to do the trip topless. The site features photos of the women, measurements and bust sizes along with hobbies, likes and dislikes. To be honest it reads more like an adult dating service rather than a charter service.

The owners of Smokin’ Em charters have stated their intentions to add a second boat to their fleet in Fort Pierce running out of another marina and a third boat operating out of Stuart, Florida. After being removed from the Fort Pierce City Marina, the owners have stated that they would discontinue the bikini charter service if allowed to return. That’s not going to happen, according to Kubitschek, “They had their one shot. I gave them an opportunity and they came in here under false pretenses; and then 17 days later the brochures showed up”, he said.

Personally, I support Kubitschek and what he is trying to do. I feel that the owners of Smokin’ Em not only tarnished the image of the city but gave the entire fishing industry a bad wrap. This is not the kind of thing I want my kids to be exposed to and I’m sure most of you would agree. Now I know they have operated their charter service out of Stuart for years and I don’t care personally if they continue to do so. But I for one don’t want them to run this kind of service out of our city, that’s not what Stuart is known for.

www.sailfishcity.com