Capt. Tommy Thompson's Saltwater Angler's Guides

Passed along by The Fishing Wire, sponsored by Berkley:

HALF HITCH COBIA TOURNAMENT
April 20, 2013
(850) 234-2621
www.halfhitch.com

PANHANDLE INSHORE FISHING CLUB – TOURNAMENT
April 13, 2013 – Hoggtown – John E. Cessna Park
(850) 585-6806
www.panhandleinshorefishingclub.com

DESTIN
EMERALD COAST SALTWATER SEMINAR SERIES (ECSSS)
April 17th, 2013 – King Mackerel
www.saltwater-events.com
HOG’S BREATH COBIA TOURNAMENT – 13TH ANNUAL
April 2, 2013
(850) 654-5962

CRAB CRUNCHER CLASSIC
April 11th – 14th, 2013
(850) 502-9733
www.cobiaworldchampionships.com

PORT ST. JOE
LING-DING TOURNAMENT
April 5th – 27th, 2013 (Every Fri, Sat & Sun)
www.mexicobeachmarina.com

NAVARRE
OUTCAST COBIA INVITATIONAL
April 17th – 20th, 2013
(850) 457-1450
www.outcastfishingandhunting.com

RED STRIPE FINAL FLING
April 26th – 28th, 2013
(850) 457-1450
www.outcastfishingandhunting.com

EMERALD COAST REDFISH TOURNAMENT SERIES
April 27, 2013 – Hopedale, LA
www.theredfishclub.com

The Board of Directors of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association are moving ahead full steam for 2013 to try and obtain fabulous new reefs like Coast Guard Cutters, bridge spans, and pre-fabricated concrete structures.   These will all be placed in currently permitted sites off the shores of Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach, Florida.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Grant
Twelve (12) new reefs are on the drawing board with a value of $80,000 which will be completed in early Spring.   The grant money will combine with matching funds raised by the MBARA from the Kingfish Tournament, sales of t-shirts, and donations.  The grant has been approved and is currently out for bids to come in on specifications of the project.

St. George Island Bridge Spans
We are working to raise three (3) bridge spans damaged by Tropical Storm Debby back in June of 2012.  We will raise them off of the floor of the bay, and then transport them to permitted sites in the Gulf of Mexico.  These spans are 55 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 7 feet tall.

Teaming with Bay and Gulf Counties
The MBARA is working diligently with officials from Bay and Gulf counties to try and build some significant artificial reefs using some of the NRDA (Natural Response Damage Assessment) and RESTORE ACT funds coming from monies paid out by BP due to the oil spill and its damaging effects on the environment and subsequent economic decline.  The funds in NRDA and RESTORE are different and will require different applications and priorities as established by local and state governmental agencies.

These plans include 4 Coast Guard Cutters, some underwater sculpture designs, and massive pre-fabricated concrete structures.

Artificial Reefs Have Million Dollar Impact
The economic impact will be substantial.  Building artificial reefs will bring millions to our local economy and thousands of jobs.

Who says so?  There are numerous studies that have been done in Florida that very vividly show how a local economy can benefit greatly from a well developed artificial reef program that will bring in thousands of visitors for fishing and diving.

In l998 Professors Bell, Bonn, and Leeworthy did a study on Northwest Florida to study the effect of the artificial reefs on the local economies.   They studied the five counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay.   They found 414 million dollars in expenditures for fishing and diving related to artificial reefs.   That meant 8,136 jobs, 84 million in wages, with 359 million attributed to visitors.

In 2001 Johns, Leeworthy, Bell, and Bonn published a study of five counties if Southeast Florida including Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe.   What they found was that visitors spent l.7 billion dollars on fishing and diving related activities on artificial reefs which meant 27,000 jobs and 782 million in wages.

After the 2006 sinking of the USS Oriskany off of Pensacola,  over 4,200 dive trips were taken the first year.  In the two local counties of Escambia and Baldwin there were 3.6 million dollars in diving related expenditdures which meant 67 new full time jobs and l.4 million in local wages.

In 2006 the USS Vandenburg was sunk off of Key West.  This was found to produce 6.5 million in diving and fishing related expenditures, l05 full time jobs, and 3.2 million in income for local workers.

With so much money coming to our area in NRDA and RESTORE ACT funds, surely a part of that money can go to build large artificial reefs like 4 Coast Guard Cutters which will bring tourists to dive and fish which will translate to local wages, jobs, and and an increased tax base.  With millions of dollars coming soon to our area, it is essential that we use part of that money on projects that will produce jobs, boost our local economy, and grow our tax base.   Artificial reefs will do that.

From the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association:

A deployment has been scheduled for April 20 for $81,000 worth of new modules coming to Mexico Beach.  They have been built in Orange Beach, Alabama, and are ready to be delivered and deployed. Weather will be looked at and exact launch day chosen.  The funds come from a FWC Grant and monies generated from the Kingfish Tournament, sales of MBARA shirts and cookbooks, and donations from members and corporations

My weekly online Florida Sportsman Big Bend Fishing4Cast column has just been posted on the FS Web site. If you’re looking for older forecasts, I’m afraid that FS doesn’t post archives, but my 2008 Fishing4Casts are archived on my editorial Web site .

from Ron Barwick at HHT:

We are doing OK so far, a few tar balls and very little oil sheen on the surface. But with them closing Federal waters the people fishing has really slowed down. Most of the charter boats are under contract with BP, so they aren’t fishing either. So business is down some. The good news is that the oil has seemed to push a lot of the fish here. They have been catching Black Fin off the pier and Yellow Fins in State waters. Just before they closed Federal waters, a few Blue Marlin had been caught as close as 12 miles off shore, normally a 60 mile run.

Half Hitch Tackle

Attn: Service Dept.

2206 Thomas Dr

Panama City Beach, FL 32408

Take a look at Rob’s Panhandle Fishing4Cast

His weekly report Includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe.

Also, if you need a great guide in Destin, Ft. Walton Beach or Navarre, Capt. Rob’s the man.   See his Light Lines Charters Web site or email:  rob6956@aol.com

Take a look at Rob’s latest Panhandle Fishing4Cast

His weekly report Includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe.

Also, if you need a great guide in Destin, Ft. Walton Beach or Navarre, Capt. Rob’s the man. See his Light Lines Charters Web site or rob6956@aol.com

Take a look at Rob’s Panhandle Fishing4Cast

His weekly report Includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe.

Also, if you need a great guide in Destin, Ft. Walton Beach or Navarre, Capt. Rob’s the man.   See his Light Lines Charters Web site or rob6956@aol.com