This newsletter is a publication of the Community-Based Fisheries Project of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). To contact The City Fisher, phone John Cimbaro at (561) 791-4730, or e-mail john.cimbaro@MyFWC.com. You can also write to: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; 8535 Northlake Boulevard; West Palm Beach, FL 33412.

In late November FWC employees got their first look at the emblem that will eventually be adorning their shoulders and vehicle doors! Reflecting the scope of the new FWC (formerly separated as the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Florida Marine Fisheries Commission, and Florida Marine Research Institute), the spotted seatrout stands for our state's diverse fisheries resources while the white-tailed deer and swallow-tailed kite represent Florida's game and non-game wildlife species. While it will take time to bring all uniforms and vehicles up to date, the FWC hopes that outdoor enthusiasts statewide will already begin to associate the emblem with the careful management and wise use of our natural resources that have characterized these agencies in the past.

NEW NEIGHBORS
Exotic Fishes

JAGUAR GUAPOTE

STATUS: Initially documented in Miami-Dade County in 1992, this species is now well established. Its low tolerance of cold temperatures (death occurs at 54^o F) will restrict its range to peninsular south Florida.

ORIGIN: Central America.

SIZE: The current all-tackle record is 3.5 pounds and was caught in Miami-Dade County.

IDENTIFICATION: The divided lateral line and black-and-white patterning make this species distinct.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The only local species that might possibly cause confusion is the black crappie. The guapote's teeth and divided lateral line instantly set it apart.

ANGLING QUALITIES: This species feeds primarily on small fish and insects, with larger individuals preferring fish. Therefore, most small flies and lures (such as beetle spins) that resemble either will do well, and lighter tackle is recommended for this smaller species. Missouri minnows and crickets will be the obvious choices among store-bought baits.

FLORIDA CRACKERS
Native Fishes

CHANNEL CATFISH

SIZE: One of our bigger freshwater fishes, this species readily exceeds ten pounds. The state record of 44.5 pounds was landed in 1985.

IDENTIFICATION: The whiskers instantly mark this as a catfish, and the silver body and deeply forked tail clinch the identification.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The small, black spots on the channel cat's body differentiate it from all other catfishes found in Florida.

ANGLING QUALITIES: This fish makes up in size what it might lack in aggression and jumping ability. While channels--especially bigger specimens--are piscivorous and will take lures, the vast majority are taken on bait. Chicken livers, live worms, cut hot dogs, and commercially-prepared "stink baits" all do well. Because channel catfish do not reproduce well in south Florida habitats, they are stocked annually in water bodies where the FWC maintains fishable populations (Lakes Okeeheelee, Osborne, Caloosa, Ida, Plantation Heritage, and Tropical, as well as the J. W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area).

"Hello? I'm calling from Wellington. My house has a pond in the backyard, and right now there are a lot of dead fish floating on it."

Perhaps the most surprising fact about fish kills, as far as the general public is concerned, is that they can (and usually do) occur naturally without any human intervention. While human activities very well can cause kills, by far most of the fish kills reported to the FWC are attributable to natural events.

What are these natural events? Most kills are caused by either low water temperatures or low dissolved oxygen levels. Low-temperature kills generally affect only exotic species (such as the spotted tilapia or oscar) that are adapted to their native tropical habitat where temperatures as low as those encountered in Florida do not occur. The most temperature-sensitive exotic fish is the only legally-introduced species, the butterfly peacock. Its lower lethal temperature is 60^o F, and this places a very real limit on this fish's range. Lower temperature limits for the peacock and some other common exotics are shown below:

Low-dissolved-oxygen kills are more complex. There are numerous factors that can lead to low oxygen levels in water. It is usually a combination of these factors that result in a kill, and such a combination often occurs during south Florida's summer months. First of all, summer's warmer temperatures reduce water's oxygen-holding capacity. Second, summer storms contribute in two ways to reduced oxygen: clouds reduce light that plants need to photosynthesize oxygen, and nutrients in the runoff washed into water can spark algae blooms. While algae do photosynthesize, under low-light conditions (such as the aforementioned cloudy weather) algae will begin consuming oxygen instead of producing it. Once all these factors are working at once, a fish kill is possible.

Recent spraying is often suggested as a possible cause when a fish kill occurs. Certain aquatic herbicides are indeed toxic to fish if the legal dosage is exceeded. However, even when a kill does prove to be herbicide-related, it is often the reduced oxygen caused by the decaying vegetation that was recently sprayed rather than the herbicide itself that is the culprit. When a chemical itself is to blame, it can sometimes be an herbicide intended for terrestrial use that gets washed off a nearby golf course or lawn by an unexpected storm. In these cases, a wide variety of species will often be affected, and low-oxygen-tolerant fish (such as catfish and gar) will show up in the kill.

Very little can be done once a fish kill starts. Preventative measures are the best solution, and these are usually only taken in water bodies where much is at stake: fish hatcheries and smaller, intensively-managed fishing areas. While fountains do aerate surface water and provide a pleasing visual effect, aerator pumps are a more effective solution. When connected to airstones placed on the lake bottom, aerators not only oxygenate the entire water column (not just the surface) but also circulate the water and distribute the oxygen throughout the lake. Even during severe kills, however, some fish generally survive and will rebuild the population.

FEATURED: Lake Osborne.

LOCATION: West Palm Beach.

SIZE: 356 acres.

FISH SPECIES PRESENT: Largemouth bass, sunshine bass, channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and spotted tilapia.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Fish feeder, two fishing piers, nine fish attractors, annually-stocked channel catfish and sunshine bass, boat ramp, and campground. Lake Osborne is one of the few locations in south Florida where anglers can catch sunshine bass, and the largemouth bass population is excellent as well with a good size distribution and many larger fish (to eight pounds). This lake also has excellent shoreline access around most of the perimeter north of Lantana Road.

DIRECTIONS: The portion of the lake north of Lantana Road is bounded by John Prince Park, which has entrances off of Congress Avenue (south of Lake Worth Road) and Lake Worth Road (east of Congress Avenue).

FEATURED: Snapper Creek Canal (C-2).

LOCATION: Miami-Dade county in Sweetwater and Kendall.

DIRECTIONS: Take the Turnpike Extension to SW 40^th Street (Bird Road) and go east to SW 107^th Avenue. Turn south (right), then continue east (left) on SW 72^nd Street (Sunset Drive). When you reach 97^th Avenue, go south (right) to Snapper Creek Drive N and turn west (right). The ramp will be to the left; if you reach SW 99^th Avenue you went too far. There are no facilities here, but the ramp is paved and in good condition. You can also access the Tamiami Canal (C-4) from this ramp.

SIZE: The primary canal is over twelve miles long, and lateral canals and the adjoining Tamiami Canal provide additional fishing.

FISH SPECIES PRESENT: Butterfly peacock, largemouth bass, snook, bluegill, redear sunfish, spotted tilapia, oscar, and jaguar guapote.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Anglers seeking the elusive "canal trifecta" of a butterfly peacock, largemouth bass, and snook all landed in one day have the opportunity to find it here. For those who favor numbers (and more action) over size, the peacocks in the C-2 tend to be more plentiful but somewhat smaller than fish found in other canal systems.

NOTE: To obtain the Angler's Guide to Snapper Creek Canal (C-2) brochure, you can write to the address in the box below:

To request these brochures, write to: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Non-Native Fish Research Laboratory; 801 NW 40^th Street; Boca Raton, FL 33431.

Maps for other canals are available from the same address or at the FWC website located at:

1. Can catfish whiskers sting an angler?

2. If a freshwater angler tells you that he caught a "Jack-fish", what species is he probably talking about?

3. What small minnow has actually been used to help control the insect whose name it bears?

1. No. A catfish's whiskers act as sensory organs for smell. A catfish's fin spines, however, while not poisonous (as popular myth states), are very sharp and may actually cause a stinging sensation when the skin is punctured. A serious infection can also ensue.

2. A freshwater "Jack" or "Jack-fish" usually refers to a chain pickerel (we have chains and, less commonly, redfin pickerel in south Florida). This fish is much sought-after in more northern states, but its popularity has not caught on yet in Florida.

3. The answer is the mosquitofish, also called gambusia . It is one of the commonest minnows in our ponds and canals.

Biographical Profile: Steve is the outdoors writer for the Sun-Sentinel, a position he has held since August of 1990. Before that he covered the outdoors as well as other sports for newspapers in New York and Alabama. He grew up in New York and spent most of his youth fishing for carp in local ponds and for fluke, flounder and bluefish in local bays. Steve graduated from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where he was sports editor of the school paper. He got a job as a sportswriter with a paper in Charleston, S.C. right out of college. He started fishing the Santee Cooper lakes for striped bass with one of the high school football coaches he. d met and soon bought a bass boat. When Steve moved to Alabama and the paper found out he owned a boat, they asked him if he wanted to be the outdoors writer and that's how he got started.

City Fisher: How did you first become interested in fishing and the great outdoors?

Steve Waters: I caught my first fish when I was four. I was fishing on a lake in New Hampshire in a row boat with my dad and I can remember it like it was yesterday. The bobber was moving all over and my dad said, "I think you got one!" Sure enough, I reeled up a bluegill. I wanted to keep it, but my dad suggested we release it and we did. From then on, I used to fish in saltwater from piers and in freshwater ponds with my dad. As a teenager, my friends and I really got into fishing and we used to ride our bikes over to the local ponds and catch and release carp all day long on doughballs. In high school I fished in saltwater from my friend's father's boat. I didn't fish much in college, but I got serious about the stripers at Santee Cooper and started spending a lot of time at it. I got into hunting when I became the outdoors writer in Alabama.

City Fisher: Did you plan on working as an outdoor writer early in your life?

Steve Waters: No. My plan in college was to become a big-time sportswriter, covering pro sports and college sports, Super Bowls, World Series, Final Fours and such. I started out covering high school volleyball and Little League baseball and worked up to some major college stuff--ACC and SEC football, basketball and baseball. But once I started covering the outdoors, I soon realized that I enjoyed that a lot more than going to games and dealing with uncooperative coaches and athletes. I did some outdoors and some sports in Alabama and in New York before getting the full-time outdoors job at the Sun-Sentinel. I found out about the job from a friend whom I'd worked with in Charleston.

City Fisher: What kind of qualifications do aspiring outdoor columnists need to have?

Steve Waters: I'm proof that you don't need a tremendous knowledge of the outdoors (hunting was all new to me when I started covering the outdoors), but I learned a lot in a short time and I'm still learning, which is essential for any outdoor writer. Readers always want to know the latest trends, techniques and hotspots. A solid foundation in journalism helps, although you don't need a degree in journalism (mine is in psychology). I had a lot of experience working for my college paper and my sportswriting background helped me as far as meeting deadlines and being a good reporter. There are outdoor writers who are good story-tellers, but they're not so good at getting the facts right. You also need enthusiasm for the job. If you enjoy the outdoors, that's usually not a problem.

City Fisher: What is your favorite part of being an outdoor columnist?

Steve Waters: I like writing about everyday people--as opposed to overpaid athletes with huge egos--who catch memorable fish or have mastered a certain outdoors skill that I think is worth reading about. I like sharing information with my readers that will help them enjoy the outdoors more. It's also fun to write about selfish or ignorant bureaucrats and politicians when they try to get away with something, like filling in a favorite wetlands, and helping to stop them. Of course, I enjoy spending time outdoors with people who really know what they're doing, like fishing guides and turkey calling champions. And it's neat to work all day, get a story and come home with a fresh fish dinner!

City Fisher: What is your least favorite part of such a career?

Steve Waters: The time away from my family. Although I love to fish and hunt, I hate having to leave them home. When I cover big tournaments like the BASS Masters Classic, I'm gone for a week.

City Fisher: Is it really true that outdoor writers never (ever) get skunked when fishing?

Steve Waters: You'll never (ever) read about it if it does happen. Seriously, it happens all the time, no matter what the other writers tell you. I remember one time another writer and I drove down to Islamorada at 4 a.m. to go offshore fishing. Well, we met up with the captain, went out to catch some live bait and couldn't catch any! We tried for like two hours--nothing! Finally, the captain borrowed six used baits--they had hook holes in them--from another boat. He trolled around for an hour without a bite, then headed back to the dock because he'd booked an afternoon charter, unbeknownst to us. So not only didn't we get a story, we didn't even get a full day's effort out of the guy.

Steve Waters' outdoor stories appear Tuesday, Friday and Sunday in the sports section of the Sun Sentinel.

The short answer to this question is "Yes, but the fish used for bait must be taken legally." The bait itself must initially be caught by a legal method. When listing traditional methods for taking bait (cast nets, minnow dip nets, minnow seines, and minnow traps), the Florida Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations says, "Any game fish harvested by these methods must be released immediately." Most anglers that use bluegill for bait take them by hook-and-line using a small, barbless Aberdeen hook. Tiny doughballs or small pieces of live worm work quite well. While bluegill make a hardier bait than do shiners, they will try harder to swim to the bottom or other cover, so a larger-than-normal bobber may be required. Bluegill make a good bait for largemouth bass, and some anglers targeting larger catfish (which become more piscivorous as they get larger) also swear by small bluegill for bait. For complete details on any regulation, always consult the Florida Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations.

Have a good question you would like to see answered here? Call John Cimbaro at our fisheries office at (561) 791-4730.

Largemouth bass: The post-spawn period and increasingly hot weather may make largemouths more difficult to entice during this part of the year. However, fishing should continue to pick up at Holiday Park (L-67A Canal) and Sawgrass Recreation Area (L-35B Canal) as water levels continue to fall in the marsh and fish move into surrounding canals. Fishing deep can continue to produce results as the temperatures rise.

Butterfly peacock: Warmer weather means more activity for anglers pursuing this tropical species--the hotter the better! Peak spawning in Florida generally occurs in May or June for butterfly peacocks, so aggressive fish will also be turning up on beds during these two months. If hot weather starts slowing largemouth angling down, peacock bass fishing will be picking up!

Sunshine bass: This species is restricted to Lakes Osborne and Ida, where the non-reproducing fish are stocked annually by the FWC. The onset of higher temperatures typically signals a slowdown in sunshine angling because they can no longer be ambushed along cold-weather migration routes. The fish (obviously) still need to feed, however, and anglers can continue to find sunshines within deeper areas in both water bodies.

Sunfish (various species): Although bass are wrapping up their own spawning season, bluegill and redear sunfish can still be readily found on beds. Those with a sensitive sense of smell claim to be able to use "fish-sniffing" to locate groups of bedding brim. Nearly all baits, small lures, and flies work well while these aggressive sunfish are defending their eggs.

Oscar and Mayan cichlid: These warmth-loving fish will be pleasing more and more anglers as the temperature rises. Mayans can be caught in the same places one would expect sunfish (and on the same baits). For oscars, fish deeper into dense vegetation than you would for other species.

Black crappie: "Speck" angling will taper off as the weather warms. These fish are not too common in our canal system, so head to the deepest parts of our larger lakes if you didn. t get your fill of crappie fishing during the winter.

Catfish (various species): Catfish are not as sensitive to seasonal variations as most other fish are, but fishing for them should improve as winter cold loses its hold. Try Lakes Okeeheelee, Osborne, Caloosa, Ida, Plantation Heritage, and Tropical where cannel cats are stocked on an annual basis. Anglers wishing to avoid the heat of the coming summer doldrums may want to give evening fishing for catfish a try.

The weekend of April 1-2, 2000 is Free Fishing Weekend . Anglers in Florida will not need a license to fish in freshwater on these two days (of course, all other fishing regulations remain in effect). This is a great opportunity to introduce a friend to the sport! Remember the beginner's tips in last quarter's The City Fisher ("Family Fishing: Introducing Others to the Sport"), or go online to get it at: http://FloridaFisheries.comoffices/cityfish/vol2b.htm

Miami-Dade Parks & Recreation, along with FWC's Division of Freshwater Fisheries, will be conducting a free fishing day event on April 1, 2000 from 8:30 to 12:00 noon at Tropical Park. This event is open to everyone and on this date, no freshwater fishing license is required to participate. All equipment is provided and individual instruction is available to help everyone enjoy the sport of fishing. Throughout the event, random drawings occur to award prizes to participants. If you or your business would like to be recognized and is interested in donating items for the drawings, please contact Mr. Jose Ponce at Tropical Park (305-226-8315; 7900 SW 40^th Street [Bird Road]; Miami, FL 33155.)

If you have internet access, volumes 1 and 2 of The City Fisher newsletter are available online at: http://FloridaFisheries.comoffices/westpalm.html