Fish Tales: Learn all about GPS at West Marine's free seminar

If you've ever wondered how a Global Positioning Satellite System works, West Marine in Bonita Springs will have the answers in a free seminar set for Saturday, July 1. John Murch, regional product trainer for Garmin International, will be in the store from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with hands-on demonstrations of Garmin products. Murch is knowledgeable about Garmin GPS, radar, Fish Finders and all the new Garmin products.

West Marine will offer free hot dogs, chips and soft drinks, plus special pricing on all Garmin units that day.

Out on the water, most of our regular correspondents are on hiatus.

Fishbuster Charters' Capt. Dave Hanson, just returning to town, fished Estero Bay Friday with Steve Ross and father-in-law Jack. They caught some live shiners, and used those for bait, along with live shrimp. They fished toward Wiggins Pass, along tree lines and oyster bars, and released small black drum, mangrove snapper, whiting and sheepshead.

Saturday, fishing in 45 feet out of New Pass, on a catch and release trip with Chris Van Dyke, Bill Metscher, and Matt, Ellie, Steve and Travis Shihaweh, Hanson used live shrimp and cut-bait to catch red grouper, triggerfish, mangrove snapper and a 38-inch lemon shark.

"The bottlenose dolphin also put on quite a show for the group," said Hanson.

Capt. Ron Kowalyk reported good all-around action with snook, reds and big trout on the Gulf beaches.

"Estero Bay had a good mixed bag bite with the best action on the afternoon outgoing tides, weather not withstanding," he said. "Trout action remained slow in Estero Bay, but was doable in the north half of Pine Island Sound. Again, best action up north occurred on the outgoing tides. There were some thin pods of tarpon out off the beaches. Cobia, sharks, kings, blues and Spanish ravaged the massive bait pods on the close reefs. Mays, the GH and the Wiggins group all held the best fish on the year."

Kowalyk said there were sightfishing opportunities in the shallow bays off Estero and in the Ding Darling. Big reds, snook and sharks all fell to flies, plugs and live bait.

• From Kowalyk's Captain's Corner: The early afternoon summer storms can be a blessing or curse, depending on what time your biological clock is set. I, for one, am not a real happy early morning guy, so having to get on the water at 5 or 6 am, first light, is not my cup of tea.

Submitted photo

Jim Schneider with a nice fly caught tarpon, one of four, caught recently in Estero Bay.

If you can make your way up, though, there are several blessings to be garnered from first light starts. For one, there's the lack of boat traffic and competition for those well-known haunts, especially those near the passes and other obvious features.

Particular to this time of year, when air temperatures can reach 90-degrees plus by 10 a.m. and water temps running high as well, it can be vital to be on the water during low light and heat periods. It's good for fish and fisherman alike.

Another plus to early starts is that the fish will be better dispersed in open water. During these periods, fish will take advantage of the foraging opportunities availed them on the cooler early morning waters of the open flats. Fish and forage animals have few or no endothermic controls, so ambient water temperature is a critical factor in their activity.

We possess those vital controls and they must be managed or our warm-blooded systems will shut down with equally devastating results. Being boiled in your own sauce isn't much fun for fish, forage or man alike, so stay hydrated, keep reasonable cool and abandon the waters once the effects of overheating and dehydration become evident.

Remember, "those who fish early in the day, may live to fish another summers day!"