The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper


Vol. 16 No. 20 - March 16, 2016

reel time

Mote shindig honors Scott Moore

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Captain Rick Grassett | submitted

Pennsylvania angler Mike Roth caught this snook while fishing the
Venice area with Captain Rick Grassett. Snook under the lights will
be a good option for tournament participants.

The William R. Mote Memorial Snook Shindig honoring Holmes Beach based Captain Scott Moore, which was scheduled for last November is now slated for April 8 and 9. Moore has been a fierce advocate for the protection of snook for decades and was a personal friend and guide to Bill Mote. The tournament was canceled last year due to high levels of red tide in bay waters.

Mote staff scientist Carole Neidig stated, “After postponing the event, we worked hard on finding a new date that would be best for the snook, as well as for anglers. Based on feedback from knowledgeable local guides, we’re hopeful that by April 8, the winter cold spell will be over, there will be good tides that day, and it is before the closure of the fishery, which is May 1.”

The tournament gives local anglers an opportunity to act as citizen scientists, providing valuable information on tagged hatchery-reared snook that have been released into Sarasota Bay. The tournament is a research-based catch, sample, and release tournament. Snook are one of the most prized recreational catches in Florida and help support an industry that brings more than $6 billion annually to the economy.

Habitat loss, increased fishing pressure, as well as freezes and red tide have contributed to an overall decline in snook populations. To address this problem Mote and FWC scientists have worked in partnership for more than 25 years on studies to assess if hatchery-reared snook can be an effective tool for helping to rebuild snook populations.

During the tournament, researchers will identify and document hatchery raised fish that were previously tagged and released. This will allow them to recover critical data that will be used to fine-tune release procedures. In the past, tournaments have revealed that changes in release strategies have improved survival of stocked snook by as much as 200 percent.

“This tournament gives participants of all ages a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn more about Mote’s fisheries research and conservation efforts and assist Mote in its mission to assess the snook population size in Sarasota Bay while having a fun day on the water,” Neidig said.

The Shindig Tournament was last held in 2009 before the 2010 winter that killed millions of snook and resulted in the closure of the fishery. Since then, Mote scientists have released more than 2,500 hatchery reared snook and need anglers' help to assess the released fishes whereabouts and survival.

The tournament begins on April 8 at 6 p.m. and ends on April 9 at 5:30 p.m. There is a mandatory Captain’s Meeting at 6 p.m. on the 8th at Mote’s WAVE Center (former Sea Cinema) at 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway on City Island in Sarasota. Fishing begins after the Captain’s Meeting. The eligible area runs along Sarasota Bay from Venice to Cortez. There will be an awards dinner at 5:30 p.m. on April 9 at Mote’s WAVE Center.

Adult’s ages 16 and older can register at $35 per person. Youth’s ages 15 and younger can register at $10 per person. An adult must accompany all children under the age of 16. Registered anglers are eligible for prizes. Snook Shindig entry fee includes entry in the tournament, awards dinner, a Steve Whitlock designed event T-shirt and a Mote tote bag of goodies. Anglers registered for the Shindig and paid dinner guests are eligible for door prizes and participation in the raffles.

For more information and to register, visit mote.org/snookshindig. Those with questions can contact Carole Neidig at cneidig@mote.org or 941-704-7663. Mote would like to extend a special thank you to all the event sponsors.


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