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Tag: Vote Water

Reel Time: New Year’s resolutions

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

New Year’s resolutions are an annual ritual. It’s a time to look back and reflect on what matters most, how we feel about our lives, and what changes might improve our situation. It’s also a time to consider what positive actions and fresh adventures might be planned for the new year. Anglers can glean some valuable insight by reviewing their year in fishing, examining what they learned from their days on the water, what their experiences revealed and assessing how this knowledge might lead to improved success and enjoyment in 2024.

I’m not suggesting that we write down hard and fast resolutions that don’t give any wiggle room. Instead, think back on even the small things that when done differently might have had a bigger impact than you ever imagined. An example might be remembering when you hooked a nice fish only to lose it to a failed knot, that tell-tale squiggle on the end of your line where the hook used to be attached. This resolution might read, “Always remember to carefully tie my knots, inspecting and testing them before I start fishing.” The same applies to sharpening hooks, checking the drag, and inspecting the line for nicks and abrasions. Reflections like this can be the start of a general review of all your rigging, the state of your tackle and lures and the condition of the line you have on your reels.

Tackle and organization are certainly places to start but extend that same thinking to other equipment like your boat and motor, waders, push pole and trolling motor. Experience teaches us that it’s the little things that we overlook that come back to haunt us. On the water, consider thinking out of the proverbial box by altering your routine strategy. Many anglers go fishing with a plan and never deviate from it. They start at one spot and hit all the usual holes during the day. A different option is to try planning to fish in places you’ve never explored before. I’ve done this and been amazed at how many areas there are that have proven to be productive. Looking at the same place with new eyes can be revealing.

New Year's resolutions
A concerned Anna Maria resident reported this illegal, after-hours mangrove destruction at 111 Gull Drive, now under investigation by city, state and federal agencies. – Submitted

Also, consider trying a new destination. There are lots of beautiful and productive fishing adventures within a few hours’ drive of Anna Maria Island, both north and south. Drive two hours north and you can explore the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and, just north of there, Homosassa, Crystal River and Withlacoochee Bay. Less than two hours south and you can discover Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. Don’t want to go that far? Anyone with a boat can leave Anna Maria Island and be fishing in fresh water in less than an hour. The Manatee River and Braden River provide anglers with a variety of fish from tarpon to catfish, redfish to bass. Both rivers also have numerous launch sites for boats, kayaks and paddleboards.

It might even prove useful to review how you approach fishing. If you’re a fly caster, look at ways you might improve your casting and consider learning how to cast with your non-dominant hand. Anglers who use conventional tackle might want to try artificial lures instead of always relying on live bait. No matter how long you’ve been fishing or what your level of competency there’s always room for improvement. A general review of tackle, techniques and the opportunities available to you can only improve your enjoyment of fishing moving into 2024.

Lastly and even more important, consider getting involved in protecting the resource that determines our fishing today and in the future. Fishermen have the most to lose by not addressing the degradation of our local waters and habitat. There are so many ways to make a difference no matter your circumstance. Keep an eye out and report illegal mangrove trimming and pick up trash on the water. Employ enlightened self-interest by vetting your local, state and national politicians on how they voted on matters that affect the water we drink and swim in and the fish we pursue. If we vote party line rather than on the issues that affect our fishing, we’re working against our self-interest. Write letters, attend commission meetings and join and donate to organizations like Sarasota Bay Watch, Vote Water and Suncoast Waterkeeper who work to protect our watery world. A resolution to act this year will protect what we value most for today and future generations. Happy New Year!

Reel Time: The price of inaction

Reel Time: The price of inaction

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Red tide. They’re probably the two words that nobody on or near Florida’s west coast wants to hear and I can understand why, sort of.

Someone who owns a resort hotel, has a restaurant on or near the beach or runs a business that takes people fishing or sightseeing depends on clean, healthy water for their livelihood. It’s easy for the average person to see that these businesses are negatively affected by red tide or even the mere mention of it.

What’s less obvious is that poor water quality affects everyone, from fishing guides to developers, realtors and builders, right down to the plumber sweating pipes in Lakewood Ranch. Humans seem to focus only on the things that directly impact us in the present, finding it easier to “kick the can down the road.” I suggest looking your children and grandchildren in the eye and asking yourself, “What part am I taking in creating and protecting the world they will inherit?”

We only must look back at the last five years for two haunting cases in point, starting with the harmful red tide algae bloom that devastated coastal waters from Naples to St. Petersburg and rendered Sarasota Bay a virtual wasteland. The result? In the last five years, Sarasota Bay lost most of the seagrass than had regrown in the past 20 years plus, if not more.

As if we needed another example, the disastrous release of over 200 million gallons of polluted process water from the legacy phosphate facility at Piney Point in late March 2021 led to the worst algae bloom in Upper Tampa Bay since the 1970s, killing thousands of tons of sea life. Piney Point is the perfect example of kicking the can down the road and running out of road.

Resident anglers have seen firsthand the decrease in water quality and the resulting loss of habitat, seagrass and its negative effect on local fisheries. Unfortunately, anglers and residents who recently relocated here see “the new normal.” Is it possible that we might consider what we’re leaving for future generations instead of how it affects self-interest in the here and now? This is not a new problem and I’m sure there were others saying the same thing when we first arrived here. But this is now and the time to act is slipping away.

If you want to see how the officials we elect represent us in enacting rules and regulations to protect our natural resources, consult the League of Conservation Voters.

The LCV is non-partisan and tracks the voting records of members of the Senate and Congress on environmental issues in its National Environmental Scorecard. This is a clear indication of how those tasked with representing our interests actually vote. Who we elect is critical to facing this problem. Politics is more divisive now than I can remember, but it’s critical that we elect politicians who represent our interests, not those with no vision who are concerned with division.

In the end, we all suffer the consequences. Vote, and consider joining and working with advocates like Suncoast Waterkeeper, Vote Water and Sarasota Bay Watch, groups working to educate the public, get them involved and hold politicians and municipalities accountable for their votes and action or inaction.

The time to act is the only time there ever is, right now. It won’t happen overnight, but it’s critical we begin now.

Reel Time: Vote water

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Fishing, Reel Time.

Readers of this column are well aware of the critical state of our coastal waters in Manatee County and beyond. The recent 2020 and 2021 lyngbya blooms brought the issue front and center as the harmful algae bloom choked waters and fouled the air and seagrass beds from the Manatee River to Palma Sola Bay.

If that wasn’t reason enough for alarm, the release of more than 200 million gallons of nitrogen-rich phosphate process water (with 10 times the nitrogen of raw sewage) from Piney Point, the long-defunct site on Tampa Bay, and the resulting red tide bloom in upper Tampa Bay put an exclamation mark on the failure of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s mandate to protect the state’s water resources. This led the environmental group, Suncoast Waterkeeper, and partners to file suit in federal court seeking redress.

The vote water yard sign highlights the non-partisan nature of the campaign.

I’ve mentioned in recent columns that these insults to Florida’s environment point to the lack of political will to effect the changes that are necessary to preserve our environment and the economy it supports.  At a recent State Waterkeeper weekly Zoom meeting, Florida Sportsman Editor Blair Wickstrom addressed their most recent efforts to elicit support for their “Vote Water” Initiative. The efforts dovetail perfectly with what groups like Waterkeeper are seeking to address. This advocacy is a continuation of the magazine’s long involvement in protecting Florida anglers’ interests. Florida Sportsman’s Founder, Karl Wickstrom, and the magazine have been on the front lines continually lobbying for common-sense rules and regulations.

Their plan resonated with me immediately so I reached out to Wickstrom to hear more about Vote Water’s goals. He responded immediately with a passionate and well-reasoned argument.

“If you had to pick one reason for the lack of success in protecting our state’s water from continual degradation, it would have to be lack of political will from our elected officials to get something done,” said Wickstrom, vice president of VoteWater.

“What we have in the state of Florida is a political problem, not a party issue, but when it comes to fixing the state’s water, the political problem requires a political solution,” VoteWater president Ray Judah emphasized. “Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. If you truly want to have clean air, clean water and public officials that represent the public interest instead of the special interest, the people that vote need to be informed.”

That’s the same argument I’ve used on these pages pointing out the shared responsibility we as voters have to effect much-needed change.

“The 2018 voter cycle, when over 300,000 people engaged with the Bullsugar.org/vote, our original voter guide proved that people do indeed want to be informed,” according to Wickstrom.

The VoteWater team highlights politicians’ votes and also the amount of money they accepted from special interests.

“The Dirty Money part of the Voter Guide is definitely something we want to spend more time on in 2022,” said VoteWater board member and Fort Myers resident Wil Revehl. “As the adage says, you have to follow the money. It’s clearly the case in politics.”

“In order for people to be represented, to have a true democracy, we need to help make taking money from a special interest, such as the phosphate industry, toxic,” emphasized Revehl.

“We’re looking to expand our numbers of volunteers in the 2022 election cycle, which hopefully will allow us to cover more counties. Ideally, we can cover all 35 coastal counties in the next cycle,” Wickstrom said. “But we’ll need both money and volunteers to make that happen.”

Once again, anglers can thank Florida Sportsman for taking a major role in effecting the change that our elected officials have avoided. I encourage all my readers to join the effort by joining the coalition, volunteering, spreading the word, donating to the cause and voting for politicians that have a track record of voting for clean water and healthy fisheries.

Don’t be fooled into believing what candidates promise; check their voting records. The future of fishing in Florida and the economy hang in the balance.