You know it’s gonna be a long boat ride when the navigator says, “Go past Nova Scotia and hang a left just before Newfoundland.”
And so it goes … and goes … and goes … for Capt. Red Flowers and crew as Red attempts to navigate an expanded Great Loop Challenge (7,000-plus miles) in less than three weeks. As of this morning, assuming all went well overnight, the 32-foot, Honda-powered boat should be in or around the Gulf of St. Lawrence, heading inland toward (eventually) the Great Lakes.
And though Red and crew could use it, there’s likely no rest ahead for the weary after six days of boating that began in the St. Johns River before heading up the Eastern Seaboard.
Included was a big chunk of way-offshore Atlantic passage that began to give an Apollo 13 vibe if you checked the Facebook video — heavy fog plus the ultimate fear, no navigation equipment, since something had come loose in the rough seas.
But the sun came up, the fog lifted, and the journey continued as Red pushed forward toward a goal of raising $1 million for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
Capt. Red, himself a cancer survivor, is a mostly retired charter-fishing captain from DeLand who made a shorter Loop lap of 5,800 miles two years ago. This time, he headed farther north before turning inland, which adds another 1,500 miles, give or take.
At the sendoff party last Saturday at the Lake Beresford Yacht Club, Red was already worn out, due to all the day-and-night work to get the boat ready to go. But he wasn’t too pooped to make sure the provisions were in place.
“Sardines and more sardines — 25 cans,” he said. “Plus some ham, peanut butter and jelly, and boiled peanuts.”
Sounds like a party, but the video dispatches hint at anything but. So far. Two years ago, the hairiest ride came while crossing an angry Lake Erie, so the overnight fog without radar might or might not be the last major challenge.
The goal is a 20-day ride, which would mean a return to Lake Beresford Aug. 28. Most recently, the goal was simply sunrise, so we’ll see.
You can keep up with the exhausting task on Red’s Great Loop Challenge Facebook page, and keep track of the coordinates through PredictWind.com, also available via link on the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s website, where you can also donate to a most-worthy cause.
Halifax/Indian River
You just never know what’s under the water tugging hard on your line. For many, that’s the ultimate lure of fishing, so to speak — that anticipation, reeling and pulling, wondering what’s gonna eventually pop its head out of the water.
If you’re patrolling the intracoastal, perhaps free-lining a shrimp or working an artificial in and around the channel, you have your mental checklist of probabilities, but every now and then …
“Port Orange is overrun with jacks in the river,” begins Capt. Billy Pettigrew (RedfishTails.com). “Free-line a live shrimp behind the boat while drifting the channel … they’re ranging from tiny to 15 pounds.”
However, Capt. Billy continues …
“For more fun, tie on a topwater walking bait with at least 30-pound mono. You might get a surprise from a kingfish, like I did.”
That’s right, a kingfish — king mackerel, inshore, just south of the Dunlawton bridge in Port Orange.
“It happens,” Capt. Billy says. “Not regularly, but they do sometimes make their way into the river.”
Aside from that fun sidelight, Capt. Billy says he’s been getting the most action northward, in the Ormond and Flagler areas.
“The bite is good at first light for redfish and snook,” he says. “I’m just using shrimp on a 1/0 SSW hook with a No. 5 split-shot or no weight at all.”
Surf
The ongoing run of bait has lured plenty of snook and tarpon closer to shore, especially if you can get out there before the heat ramps up.
Of course, that also means you’re more likely than usual to hook a shark, who view many of those tarpon and snook as their version of baitfish.
As the sun rises, your odds increase for whiting and catfish.
St. Johns
Make your way toward some shady areas along the banks, toss out a cricket or worm, and you might bring back a bluegill or shellcracker. That’s the summertime’s best bet right now.
Some early-birds are still getting a decent bass in the main river and lakes — “it’s steady in Lake Woodruff and Lake Dexter for the first couple hours before the sun gets up and it gets hot,” says Capt. Ronnie Paige (Highland Park).
Hook, line and clicker: Send us your fish pics
We want to see your most recent catch. Email your fish photos to ken.willis@news-jrnl.com.
Please include first and last name of angler(s), as well as type of fish (we’re occasionally stumped). Some may be used in print, but all appear in the online version of the fishing roundup.
Do I need a fishing license?
You can find all the license info, including exemptions, on Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission website: MyFWC.com. But the basics are: No: If you’re 65 or older, 15 or younger, you don’t need a license. “Probably” Not: If you’re fishing with a licensed guide or charter boat, both of which often purchase commercial licenses that cover their customers. Yes: Most everyone else, including visitors from other states. Yes: Even if you’re a shore-based angler (shoreline, dock, pier, bridge, etc.), and even if fishing with a shore-based guide. However: The shore-based license is free . . . But: You still need to register for that free license.
Where do I get a license and what does it cost?
Many bait shops sell licenses, as do the bigger retailers (Bass, Dick’s, Walmart, etc.). Florida’s FWC uses a third-party site for buying or renewing fishing licenses: GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. The cost: $17 for an annual license. Don’t forget: Whether you’re fishing fresh or saltwater, you need the specific license. Freshwater and saltwater licenses are both $17 annually.
I’m here on vacation, do I need a license?
Yes you do, and some are available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, but what you need probably isn’t. Short-term: Three-day ($17) and seven-day ($30) licenses are no longer available online, but only at local tax-collector offices and many bait shops. Long-term: The yearly visitor pass is still available online for $47. “Some” exceptions: If you’re fishing on a charter boat (saltwater only), that guide should have a license that covers all his clients. If you’re hiring a shore-based guide, no such coverage exists and you must go purchase a license.
What if I get caught fishing without a license?
Florida residents: First-time violation is usually $50, plus the cost of the license you should’ve had. Non-residents: Fines range from $100-250, plus cost of license. Both go up exponentially with future violations.
Email Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Capt. Red’s Great Loop Challenge is just that, challenging so far
Reporting by Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ken Willis, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
