the cape san blas lighthouse

Transcription

52 PAGES OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO DURING
YOUR STAY ON FLORIDA’S FORGOTTEN COAST
GREAT OFFERS INSIDE!
St. James Bay Golf Resort
still
Page 5
The Port Fine Wine & Spirits
Page 21
St. Joe Shrimp Company
Page 25
Carrabelle Boat Club
Page 41
The Haughty Heron
Page 42
standing...
V O L U M E
NUMBER1
the cape san blas
lighthouse
SUMMER2015
SCALLOP SEASON I REGIONAL HISTORY I SUMMER FISHING I BAYOU BASH I EVENT CALENDAR
VOLUME 9
NUMBER 1
SUMMER 2015
contents
columns
features
12My View
14Still Standing...the Cape San Blas Lighthouse
BY DANIEL ANDERSON, EDITOR
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
Sea grass beds are dwindling
along Florida’s coastlines, and
local waters are no exception.
These grasses are a vital marine
resource – let’s protect them!
The tale of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse, from its inception in 1848 to
the present day, is colorful, compelling and mysterious. The beacon was
destroyed three times, outlasted the Civil War, survived a shipwreck,
saved countless lives, took a few in return, and just might be cursed.
Now that’s a lighthouse worth saving!
37Bayou Bash
22Season of the Scallop
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
The Forgotten Coast’s only inshore
saltwater fishing tournament was
revived in 2014. The 2015 Bayou
Bash, scheduled for August 15th,
promises great prizes and benefits
a cause every angler can appreciate!
Bay Scallops are a true regional treasure – they’re even celebrated with
a music festival – and their recreational harvest is an annual highlight.
Must See shares information, tips, tricks and techniques to make your next
scalloping excursion a successful one.
43Event Calendar
COMPILED BY DANIEL ANDERSON
With so much to see and do along
the Forgotten Coast, Must See’s
comprehensive Event Calendar
is indispensable. In print and
online, it’s the best place to find
out what’s happening when and
where in Old Florida!
10 Must See FORGOTTEN COAST
28Our Towns: A Regional History
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
The communities of Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Port St. Joe and Mexico Beach
each have their own distinct personality. They originated, developed and
grew at different times under unique circumstances. A look back at the
history of our towns reveals the origins of their character, and tells stories
of the events and people that shaped a region.
36Hot Summer Fishing!
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
Inshore and coastal waters along Florida’s Forgotten Coast offer fantastic
summer fishing. Trophy hunters target King Mackerel and giant Tarpon,
while other anglers seek fried fish dinners of fresh-caught Speckled Trout
and Spanish Mackerel. To better your chances of hooking up, Must See shares
the what, when, where and how of regional summer fishing!
CAPE SAN BLAS LIGHTHOUSE DETAIL : DANIEL ANDERSON
TURTLE GRASS : PHOTO COURTESY NOAA
myview
BY DANIEL ANDERSON, EDITOR
PUBLISHER & EDITOR:
Daniel Anderson
BUSINESS MANAGER & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT:
Carol Anderson
WRITER:
Daniel Anderson
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Daniel Anderson
Debbie Hooper
GRAPHIC ARTIST:
Daniel Anderson
Must See is published by
W
arning! Our bays and coastal
waters are under attack. The
region’s sea grasses, so critical to
healthy marine habitat, are dwindling at
an alarming rate. It is up to us to fend off
this vicious assault. If we fail, our way of
life – utterly dependent on a healthy aquatic
environment – will be changed forever.
Fortunately, this is a mess of our own
making. We may be the villain responsible
for these nefarious deeds, but if we act fast,
there is still time to be the hero.
In general terms, sea grass is submerged
aquatic vegetation, but its ecological impact
is very complex. It stabilizes the sea floor by
preventing erosion, improves water quality
by recycling nutrients, photosynthesizes
carbon dioxide and emits oxygen (just like
a rainforest), and provides habitat and food
for over 70% of marine species in the Gulf
of Mexico. A single acre of seagrass can
produce 10 tons of leaves per year, and
serve as a nursery to millions of juvenile fish
and crustaceans.
Manatee Grass, Shoal Grass and Turtle
Grass are the most abundant types of sea
grass along the Forgotten Coast, but there’s
not nearly as much here as there used to
be. Data from the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) indicates
that area sea grass beds have experienced
significant declines in acreage, changes in
species, and reductions in density and size
in recent years. Since 1950, Franklin and
Gulf counties have lost approximately 60%
of their sea grasses.
Scientists have identified sea grass as
an important “indicator species.” When
an indicator species disappears from an
environment, it spells trouble for the entire
ecosystem. Locally, that means grouper,
redfish, speckled trout, flounder, pink
shrimp, bay scallops, stone crabs and
myriad other species are at risk. Without
healthy and abundant sea grasses, these
creatures cannot survive.
A leading cause of sea grass loss is propeller
scarring. Caused by careless boaters running
aground or powering through the shallows,
propeller scars are a growing problem. As
the region gains popularity as a vacation
destination, more mistakes are made by
boaters unfamiliar with local waters. Prop
scarring is an easy problem to solve. Use
charts. Study depths and tide tables. Learn
to read the water’s surface. Be mindful. Be
respectful. Be careful!
Land development is another cause of sea
grass depletion. Sea grasses are dependent
upon clear water. As nutrient-rich topsoil
is stripped, rain and irrigation eventually
transport it to coastal waters. Hazardous
mineral imbalances cause plankton and
algae blooms, blocking sunlight and
hindering the growth of sea grasses. It’s
an enormous problem with no quick
fix, but there are things we can do. On
land, minimize the use of fertilizers and
chemicals, and manage them properly.
On the water, practice clean boating –
(1) handle fuel, oil, solvents, paints
and varnishes carefully and responsibly,
(2) use phosphate-free, biodegradable,
non-toxic cleaners, and (3) never discharge
raw sewage into the water.
As integral as sea grass is to our marine
environment, saving it is not a glamorous
endeavor. The crisis is ignored by the press
and powers-that-be, and you know what
that means. It’s up to us. Be the hero.
Must See Media, LLC
P.O. Box 1014
Port St. Joe, FL 32457
Copyright 2015
Must See Media, LLC.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may
be reproduced in any form or by any
means without prior written permission
of the publisher. Direct inquiries to
[email protected]
or
Must See Media, LLC
P.O. Box 1014
Port St. Joe, FL 32457
For more information about Must See,
visit www.MustSeeMagazine.com.
Must See is not responsible for
unsolicited materials.
Printed in U.S.A.
O N T H E C OV E R
Cape San Blas Lighthouse, 2015
PHOTO : DANIEL ANDERSON
Contact Must See via e-mail at
[email protected]
Contact Must See via regular mail at
Daniel Anderson, Editor
Must See Media, LLC
P.O. Box 1014, Port St. Joe, FL 32457
view Must See online by visiting
www.MustSeeMagazine.com
still
standing...the
CAPE SAN BLAS LIGHTHOUSE : DANIEL ANDERSON
e cape san blas
lighthouse
FORGOTTEN COAST Summer 2015
15
T
he Cape San Blas Lighthouse,
as it stands today, is the fourth
structure to bear the name.
Plagued by poor decision making, bad luck,
violent weather and civil war, the surviving
lighthouse’s predecessors rose and fell
in rapid succession, spawning rumors of
a curse.
The first lighthouse on Cape
San Blas was built in 1848
and illuminated in 1849.
Constructed to warn ships
of the dangerous Cape San
Blas shoals, which extend
over four miles into the
Gulf of Mexico, the first
beacon was a masonry
tower standing over 80
feet high. Vessels making
their way from the Dry
Tortugas near Key West
to New Orleans were
warned off the shoals for
just two years before storms
destroyed the lighthouse
in 1851. Though it shone
only a short time, the
lighthouse was of great
value to mariners, and
plans to rebuild were made
immediately. Construction
on Tower 2 began in 1852,
but stalled when funding
was denied.
After years of delays, the
second tower was finally
completed in the spring
of 1856. It was a masonry
tower as well, but it was
destroyed almost as soon
as it was finished. Storm
surge as high as 15 feet
undermined it’s foundations
during a violent gale that
summer, and the fledgling
tower collapsed into the
receding Gulf waters.
Navigational assistance in
treacherous local waters
was still a priority, however,
and funds were quickly
appropriated to build anew.
The third lighthouse, erected
in 1859, fared better. Milder
TOWER 4 CIRCA 1885
storm seasons and better
construction gave this masonry tower a
fighting chance – fighting being the operative
word. Opposing forces struggled to maintain
and destroy the strategic beacon during the
Civil War. Union forces used ships to move
troops and supplies, and fought to maintain
the lighthouse. Confederate soldiers sought
to foil union troop and cargo movements by
destroying the tower. The Confederacy won
the battle for the Cape San Blas Lighthouse,
and it was badly damaged early in the war.
The beacon was not re-lit until 1865.
Tower 3 served mariners admirably from
1865 until 1882, although concerns
about shifting sands and
encroaching Gulf of
Mexico waters were voiced.
Unfortunately, funding
issues and procrastination kept the lighthouse at
risk until it was too late
to save. Churning surf
eroded the tower’s
foundations and stranded
it in 8 feet of water. The
beleaguered structure
finally collapsed into
the Gulf of Mexico late
in 1882.
Commercial shipping
still required a beacon
indicating the position
of the shoals, however,
and plans for yet another
lighthouse were drawn
up immediately. Brick
TOWER 3 CIRCA 1859 gave way to cast iron
and skeletal legs and
braces replaced masonry.
The fourth Cape San
Blas Lighthouse was very
different from the first
three, but, from the outset,
seemed plagued by the
same ill luck. Engineered
and designed to withstand
punishing winds and
weather, the structure
was built in the factories
of the north. Unassembled,
the entire structure was
shipped via cargo vessel
south down the Atlantic
Coast, through the Straits
of Florida, and up the
Gulf Coast. Incredibly,
the ship carrying the
fourth, and current,
Cape San Blas Lighthouse
sank just off Sanibel
Island in 1884. Frantic
salvage efforts ensued,
and the critical components of the
lighthouse were miraculously saved.
After reaching Cape San Blas later that
year, the 101-foot tall lighthouse was
assembled, erected and illuminated for the
first time in 1885.
continued on page 18
Nine years later, in 1894, a violent storm
put the lighthouse at risk yet again. As
the skies cleared, the cape’s shoreline
was drastically altered and the tower was
again surrounded by swirling Gulf waters.
Exasperated authorities, weary of constant
maintenance and stopgap measures,
proposed moving the lighthouse to
Black’s Island in St. Joseph Bay by
1896. The beacon was dismantled and
preparations on the island initiated
while arguments raged over the cost
and feasibility of the plan. Receding
Gulf waters, beach accretion and
bureaucratic delays halted the relocation
efforts. Labor problems and feet-dragging
resulted, ridiculously, in the lighthouse
being re-fit in it’s original position.
Of course, by 1916, the sea threatened
yet again. In 1919, the tower was taken
down, moved one quarter-mile further
inland, and re-erected. The Cape San Blas
Lighthouse finally seemed secure. Indeed,
the structure’s survival wasn’t threatened
again for nearly a century.
The same cannot be said for the people
who cared for the tower. Events after 1919
lend credence to suspicions of a curse. In
1932, Lightkeeper Ray Linton tended the
isolated beacon in solitude. Twenty-three
miles from the nearest settlement, he found
“the lonely vigil and wide expanse of the
Gulf too great a burden” and took his own
life. In 1952, two painters, Angelo Tzeuo
and Frank Wiley, mysteriously fell nearly
100 feet to their deaths. Shortly thereafter,
a road crew chief was killed under bizarre
circumstances when a ricocheting bullet
took his life after striking a railroad iron.
And that’s not all...
The grisly murder of Assistant Lightkeeper
Ernest W. Marler in 1938 may be the most
disturbing event of all. Marler was shot
in the back, stabbed, mutilated, and his
body stuffed in a shed, yet his death was
originally ruled a suicide. Facts surrounding
his demise are sparse, but there is no
shortage of unanswered questions. Was
he killed for reporting illicit moonshiners
operating on the Cape? Did he run afoul
of violent criminals escaping Apalachicola
after a robbery? Was it revenge? A killfor-hire planned by a jealous husband?
Eighty years later, rumors of an affair
with Head Lightkeeper Sullivan R. White’s
wife refuse to be quelled. And the biggest
mystery of all...whodunit? The killer was
never identified.
Sully White urgently requested a transfer
immediately following Marler’s death,
claiming his post on the shoals
was too dangerous. Did he fear
for his life, thinking he might
be the next victim, or was he
haunted by the vengeful spirit
of his slain assistant? Tales of
swinging lantern lights late at
night and footsteps ringing on
the lighthouse stairs permeate
local folklore.
From the late 1950s until 2011,
the Cape San Blas Lighthouse
endured. Decommissioned
and isolated on U.S. Air Force
property, the structure stood
silent vigil over the shoals for
nearly sixty years. Over that
time, however, the beacon’s
nemesis crept ever closer. With
every storm, the waters of the
Gulf of Mexico carved their
way to the tower’s foundations.
In 2012, after Hurricane Isaac
washed away all but a 50-foot
buffer between the tower site
and the Gulf, Lighthouse Digest
added the Cape San Blas
Lighthouse to its Doomsday
List of Endangered Lighthouses.
Action was required if the
lighthouse was to be saved.
After much debate, possession
of the Cape San Blas Lighthouse
and permission to move it were
granted to the City of Port St.
Joe. Fundraising and creative
financing by city officials
made the move possible, and
plans were made to re-erect the
structure in George Core Park
along Port St. Joe’s bayfront.
On July 15th, 2014, hundreds
watched as the Cape San Blas
Lighthouse made its journey.
The carefully choreographed
effort required road closures,
movement of power lines and
the dismantling of a traffic light
to accommodate the 900-foot
long moving convoy. Nine
days later, hundreds gathered
again to observe as the Cape
San Blas Lighthouse was
erected. Cheers of pride and
sighs of relief – apparently the
curse had taken the day off –
echoed through the park as the
lighthouse settled into its new home.
On September 12, 2014, during the Florida
Scallop & Music Festival, the Cape San Blas
Lighthouse opened to climbers for the first
JOURNEY’S END : DANIEL ANDERSON
SAFE AT LAST : DANIEL ANDERSON
time at its new location. Anticipating a
breathtaking view of St. Joseph Bay from
the top of the historic tower, 249 climbers
came out to take in the new vista. They were
not disappointed! ♦
21
season of
the
O
n October 2nd & 3rd, 2015, Gulf
County’s largest annual festival
celebrates one of St. Joseph Bay’s
greatest treasures. The 19th annual Florida
Scallop & Music Festival will shine the
spotlight on St. Joseph Bay’s succulent Bay
Scallops and country music star Phil Vassar,
but scallop-related activities begin much
earlier. Eager scouts scour the bay in early
June for indications regarding the upcoming
season. How many
scallops are out there?
Are they big? Where
are they congregating?
scallop
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
For the uninitiated, beginning the search
can be intimidating – the bay is a big body
of water! How can you narrow it down?
Start by finding beds of sea grass. Scallops
love this stuff! The southern end of the bay
(or head, in local parlance) is full of sea
grass beds, and so are the shallows around
Black’s Island. These areas usually hold
dense concentrations of scallops, and are the
primary targets for veteran scallop harvesters.
Those questions are
definitively answered
on the opening day
of Recreational Bay
Scallop Season – this
year it was Saturday,
June 27th. Opening
day is a huge event
in and around St.
Joseph Bay. Excited
scallopers converge
on the area from
miles around. Scallop
season means exciting
discoveries in an
unique marine
environment, good
times on the water
with friends and
family, and a real treat
at the dinner table!
Make no mistake,
though, a Bay Scallop
dinner is one you
earn. No commercial harvest of bay scallops
is permitted in the U.S. Fortunately, finding
them is almost as enjoyable as eating them,
and it’s an activity for people of all ages
and abilities. Harvesting Bay Scallops is just
challenging enough to be rewarding, yet easy
enough to be enjoyable.
over it by accident, and other days may
require an extended search. You’ll know
it when you find it, however. Blue-eyed
scallops will be scattered in the sea grass,
clustered in small bunches, or grouped in
and around sandy “potholes.” Some zones
are small and yield just a few dozen scallops
no matter how hard you search. Others
may stretch for hundreds of yards in every
direction and hold scallops by the thousands.
The next step is finding the mysterious
“zone.” This special place changes from day
to day, and is determined by depth, water
temperature, tides, and water clarity. If there
is a magical formula for finding the zone,
only the scallops know it – the rest of us
have to search. Some days you’ll stumble
One way to find
these elusive areas
is to trail a line off
the stern of a boat
and tow a scalloper
equipped with mask
and snorkel – called
dragging – over the
grass beds (at idle
speed with dive flag
displayed, of course).
When the snorkeler
spots scallops, he or
she signals the boat
to stop. Then it’s
drop anchor and
everyone overboard
with collection bags
in hand – let the
hunt begin!
Often, scallops
are obscured by
thick grass, silt and
algae, making them
difficult to spot
while dragging.
The solution to this
BAY SCALLOP : PHOTO COURTESY FWC
problem is simple,
but labor-intensive – find a likely spot, jump
in and take a closer look. A quick search
along the edges of potholes and grass beds
will usually turn up a few scallops if they’re
present. If, after a few minutes, there is still
no sign of your quarry, move on to another
likely spot and search again. Some days,
persistence and determination are your only
recourse. Persevere! They’re worth it!
It may seem unlikely, but Bay Scallops are
very active creatures. They can move long
distances quite quickly, and do so fairly
often. Occasionally, what was a harvesting
hot spot one day will be completely devoid
of scallops the next. They’re still in the bay
somewhere, but you’ll need to start your
search over to find them.
After you’ve collected a nice mess of scallops,
what do you do with them? Your best bet is
to shuck (or clean) them before you leave
the water. All you need is a small, thin and
sturdy knife or spoon, a plastic container or
bag, some ice, and a little patience. Hold the
scallop with the dark side up, insert the knife
or spoon between the shells near the hinge,
and twist to separate the shells. Holding the
scallop open, sever the white muscle
where it connects to the dark (top)
shell. Toss the top shell back
into the bay. Cupping the
bottom shell in one hand,
use the knife or spoon to
gently scrape away the
brown and black “goo”
surrounding the muscle.
Feed the goo to the
pinfish and crabs,
and finish by
cutting the
muscle
away
from the
bottom
shell. Drop the
bottom shell in
the bay and your
freshly-harvested
delicacy on ice.
It’s much easier
than shucking
oysters or picking
crabs, and tastes
better, too!
Back on dry land,
PHIL VASSAR IN CONCERT!
it’s time for an
incredible seafood dinner. Fresh Bay
Scallops are plump, sweet and absolutely
delicious. You can prepare them in many
different ways, but most end up fried,
sauteed or grilled. Lightly batter-fried and
served with cheese grits is a local favorite,
but try them sauteed in garlic and butter
served with a juicy steak and you’ll never
think about “surf & turf” the same way
again. As with any seafood recipe, it’s
important to avoid overcooking – scallops
left to cook too long become chewy and
lose flavor.
Bay Scallops are not unique to St. Joseph
Bay. The waters off Lanark Village, St. Marks
and Steinhatchee offer productive scalloping,
too. None of those locations are as consistent,
accessible and family-friendly as St. Joseph
Bay, though. Clear, shallow waters and
abundant access points make scalloping in
St. Joseph Bay an activity the whole family
can enjoy.
A boat or kayak is perfect for getting to
and from the scalloping grounds. If you
don’t have one of your own, there are plenty
of rental options available. Seahorse Water
Safaris at the Port St. Joe Marina has a variety
of power boats available. On Cape San Blas,
both Scallop Cove and Happy Ours offer a
great selection of kayaks, as does Presnell’s
Bayside Marina at Simmons Bayou. Seahorse
Water Safaris and Presnell’s also offer
chartered scallop excursions during the
season. It’s a great way to learn the
ins, outs and techniques of
scalloping before tackling
it on your own.
By the first weekend
in October, when the
19th annual Florida
Scallop & Music Festival
rolls around, weary
scallopers will
have earned a
weekend off!
Spend the
2nd &
3rd of
October
at this much
anticipated
celebration.
Held in the
shadow of the
newly relocated
Cape San Blas
Lighthouse in
Port St. Joe,
attendees will
enjoy great
food, arts &
crafts, kid’s
activities, live music and a concert by the
one and only Phil Vassar!
Recreational Bay Scallop Season and the
Florida Scallop & Music Festival are just
two of the many uniquely local events
that make the Forgotten Coast so special
(you’ll find many more beginning on page
43). For more information about the 19th
annual Florida Scallop & Music Festival, visit
www.ScallopFest.com. For information and
regulations regarding the harvest of Bay
Scallops, visit www.MyFWC.com. ♦
our towns:
a regional history
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
ommunity histories often lapse into
mundane litanies of dates, names
and facts. For the towns of Old
Florida – Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Port
St. Joe and Mexico Beach – that is most
definitely not the case. The stories of our
communities are unique and entertaining
tales of discovery, ambition, tragedy, disaster
and perseverance.
C
Rio Carrabella (now Carrabelle). Native
Americans and Europeans, who hunted the
game abundant in the area’s forests, were
Carrabelle’s first settlers.
LANARK INN : CARRABELLE : 1898
Originally christened
“Rio Carrabella,” the
town is actually located
on St. James Island, is
surrounded by bays,
rivers, swamps and
marshes, and shelters
behind the protective
barrier of Dog Island.
In the early days of Rio
Carrabella, sailing ships,
mainly schooners, navigating the Gulf of
Mexico, would drop anchor in a cove behind
Dog Island. There, they would unload their
ballast before sailing in to the shallow waters
of Carrabelle to pick up cargo. Visitors
still find abandoned ballast stones at that
anchorage, now known as Ballast Cove.
The community of Carrabelle didn’t really
come into its own until after the Civil War,
though. Lumber and naval stores were both
in high demand, and by 1893, lumber
and saw mills had sprouted up along the
Carrabelle River. Downtown Carrabelle was
established near the Coombs Mill, at the
mouth of the river, and a railroad station
serviced cargo trains at the site. The railroad
also brought tourists from Tallahassee to stay
at the luxurious Lanark Inn, a popular resort
at the time.
Around the turn of the century, a hurricane
devastated the town. Residents rebuilt
downtown Carrabelle further inland, at its
modern-day location. Greek sailors came
in and began a short-lived, but lucrative,
sponge trade prior to World War I. In the
1920s, the area suffered severe economic
distress. Fishing became the town’s principal
industry, and Carrabelle, along with the rest
of America, slid into the Great Depression.
Prohibition was the law of the land, and
moonshining and smuggling became the
local careers of choice.
Caribbean smugglers
frequented the quiet
port town, as well,
and Alligator Point
and its surrounding
forests were believed
to harbor the hideouts
and liquor caches of
desperate men.
Change arrived when,
in 1942, the United
States entered World War II. The U.S. Army
Ground Forces built Camp Gordon Johnston
just outside of Carrabelle. In preparation for
D-Day, over 250,000 U.S. soldiers trained in
amphibious assault warfare before the camp
closed in 1946.
Apalachicola. The town of Apalachicola has
weathered prosperity and decline time and
time again. If the old clichés “adversity builds
character” and “what doesn’t kill you makes
you stronger” have any
LOG BOOM : APALACHICOLA : 1899
truth to them, then
Apalachicola is one
of the strongest, most
character-laden cities
in America.
It all started in 1519
when Spanish explorer
Alonzo de Pineda sailed the coastal waters
of El Golfo de Mexico mapping the coastline
of La Florida. Pineda’s mission was a great
success, and opened up new territory to the
Spaniards. It was followed closely by the
largely land-based expedition of Panfilo de
Narvaez in 1528. Narvaez met resistance
from native Apalachee Indians, and he and
most of his doomed expedition were lost
before exploration of coastal lands could be
completed for the Spanish Crown. Narvaez’s
failed expedition marks the beginning of
Apalachicola’s turbulent civilized history.
By the late 1600s, Spain’s claim on Florida
was tenuous at best, and British expansion
from the Carolinas applied pressure from the
north and east. When France’s La Salle laid
claim to the Louisiana Territory to the west,
Spain’s eventual withdrawal from Florida
was inevitable. Incursions on both fronts
destroyed Spanish missions and drove out
settlers and native peoples alike. British
expansionists constantly encroached on
Spanish territory, and by 1763 had forced
Spain from Florida.
British rule lasted just 20 years, however,
when the American Revolution removed
British presence from American soil. In
return for Spanish assistance during the
war, control of Florida was ceded back
to Spain – a short lived situation remedied
in the early 1800s. At long last, the Florida
teritory was a part of something larger, the
United States of America. Could this be the
beginning of stability and prosperity for
the fledgeling state?
President James
Monroe thought so.
He promptly set up
a customs district
on the Apalachicola
River, and the
city of Apalachicola
was founded.
29
The town was Franklin County’s seat of
until 1899. That year, a powerful hurricane
government in 1832, and with the advent
wrecked 13 ships off St. George Island and
of steam boats powerful enough to push
wreaked havoc with port facilities. The Great
upstream, became a significant shipping
Apalachicola Fire of 1900 finished what the
center and Florida’s
storm had started,
leading port. Two-way STEAMBOAT LOTTIE : APALACHICOLA : 1907 and completely
river trade went as far
devastated the city.
upstream as Columbus
The commercial
and Albany, Georgia.
district was leveled
Apalachicola’s future
to the water’s edge,
seemed assured.
and 71 buildings
Development plans
were lost. Weary
moved forward and
townspeople, ready
officials began selling
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION : APALACHICOLA : 1916
tracts of land. At the
time, a Tallahassee
newspaper declared
Apalachicola “a proud
specimen of the
American enterprise.”
As is often the case,
such praise signaled
tough times ahead.
Apalachicola’s new
economy was based
solely on commerce.
The town had very
little manufacturing
and almost no agriculture of any kind.
As river trade dropped off following the
expansion of railroads, the community’s
economy was not adequately diversified.
Community leaders applied for government
assistance with projects that would allow
the town to adapt. Nearly two thousand
citizens watched their hopes evaporate as
those funds were diverted for use in the
Civil War.
Union blockades slowed trade, troops were
conscripted to fight for the Confederacy,
and the local military moved upriver
where they could more effectively resist
Union forces. Less than 600 people
scrambled to survive in a town largely
abandoned and ignored for the remainder
of the war.
After the North and South settled their
differences, Apalachicola prospered as
the Reconstruction of the South pushed
goods and people through the port, and
prospects brightened. As the Reconstruction
wound down, however, the city suffered
again. Funding for port improvements
and adequate roads was delayed, and the
town wallowed in relative isolation. By the
acclaimed Centennial in 1876, Apalachicola
residents had very little to celebrate.
Fledgeling timber and seafood industries
allowed residents to make a living during the
late 1800s, and the city saw moderate growth
for a new start, were glad to see the century
turn. Resilient as always, they rolled up their
sleeves and commenced rebuilding.
The timber business, and high demand
for locally harvested oysters, shrimp, and
sponges, propelled Apalachicola into the
20th century. Once again, things were
looking up. The Dixie Theatre, built in
1913, was the pride of Apalachicola and
was unrivaled from Tampa to Pensacola.
Mardi Gras was celebrated for the first
time in 1914, as was Oyster Day, the
precursor to the long running Florida
Seafood Festival. World War I brought
trepidation but little change. It seemed
Apalachicola had found its niche.
Alas, riches turned to rags once again as the
Florida land boom, which began after World
War I, collapsed in 1925. Violent hurricanes
blasted the region in
PORT INN : PORT ST JOE : 1907
1926, followed by
more in 1928. Fruit
flies destroyed citrus
crops statewide shortly
thereafter. Florida was
already in a depression
when the stock market
crashed in 1929, and
Apalachicola was
reeling. The only
respite the community
received during the
depression era was the
building of the John Gorrie bridge. Spanning
the bay and connecting the city to Eastpoint,
the bridge played a pivotal role in the city’s
recovery during and after World War II.
World War II transformed Apalachicola
from a quiet coastal community trying to
survive into an important cog in the U.S.
war machine. Thousands of troops came into
Franklin County for training as U.S. forces
prepared for amphibious assault on Europe.
The military presence left Franklin County
after the war, but wiser post-war community
leaders were prepared for the transition.
The River City struggled, but residents knew
it was just a matter of time. These visionaries
understood that the city of Apalachicola
was dependent upon the development of
St. George Island for its economic success.
Ferry service to the island began in 1955,
and construction began on the Bryant Patton
Bridge, connecting Eastpoint to St. George
Island, shortly thereafter. The bridge was
opened to traffic in 1965.
St. Joseph (now Port St. Joe). From humble
beginnings in the early 1700s, the little
town of St. Joseph experienced burgeoning
economic growth and garnered nationwide
attention in the 1830s. Records from the
Florida State Archives confirm that old
St. Joseph, on the site of modern-day Port
St. Joe, was the birthplace of Florida’s
statehood and a bustling seaport. During
its heyday, St. Joseph attracted thousands
of residents with the promise of inexpensive
coastal property, a growing job market, and
a bright future.
The city’s roots were planted in 1827 when
Peter W. Gautier, Jr., the well-to-do son of a
Georgia minister, settled near Apalachicola.
Gautier was an energetic entrepreneur intent
on making his fortune in the exotic Florida
Territory. His efforts experienced an early
setback when a federal court ruled against
the citizens of Apalachicola in a land dispute
with the region’s largest landowner, the
Apalachicola Land Company. Irritated but
unfazed, Gautier and several of Apalachicola’s
leading residents
moved west to St.
Joseph, effectively
thumbing their
collective nose at
the greedy land
company. The
fledgling community,
energized by the
vision and audacity
of its newest residents,
flourished. The boom
era of Old St. Joseph
began in earnest.
Gautier was the town’s primary promoter.
He purchased The St. Joseph Telegraph
newspaper, renamed it The St. Joseph Times,
and declared himself editor. This position
of influence enabled Gautier to push his
agenda of growth and prosperity forward at
an incredible pace. By December of 1835,
St. Joseph’s exploding population, economic
importance and busy seaport prompted the
U.S. Government to open a post office. By
January of 1836, just one month later, the
community was chartered as a municipality.
St. Joseph became a hub for regional
business development and a popular tourist
destination. The city was full of elegant
eateries, luxury hotels, a race track, churches,
schools, and hundreds of homes. The
town offered plenty of entertainment, and
gained a reputation as a playground for the
rich. Gautier and company embraced that
perception, and marketed the community
as a resort getaway for wealthy plantation
owners from inland Florida, Georgia and
Alabama. According to some accounts, St.
Joseph was the largest city in what would
become the State of Florida, with as many
as 10,000 residents.
As the Florida Territory joined the Union
and became the State of Florida, the city of
St. Joseph donned the proverbial “feather in
its cap.” On December 31st, 1838 it hosted
the Florida State Constitution Convention.
Competition with other would-be sites
was fierce, but St. Joseph was chosen over
Apalachicola, Tallahassee and Pensacola. At
the time, it was described as “a gem on the
Florida seashore” and the type of community
to which “others should aspire.”
In preparation for the convention, St. Joseph
residents built a dedicated convention hall
with housing for delegates and the press
corps. Just before the convention began, a
scene unfolded that would happen again and
again as more territory was claimed by the
United States. Citizens and peace officers
forcibly removed, at gunpoint, the last 269
native Seminole Indians from the convention
hall vicinity.
The Constitution Convention ushered in
the golden years of St. Joseph, and the town
grew and prospered under Gautier’s guidance
and that of his like-minded peers. Of course,
not everything went Gautier’s way. His efforts
to bring a rail line into St. Joseph eventually
failed in 1840. No one knew it at the time,
but that failure was the beginning of the end
for old St. Joseph. As word spread about
the St. Joseph Railroad’s abandonment, real
estate and business prospects plummetted.
The city suffered and residents came upon
hard times, but the economic collapse was
nothing compared to what followed.
Life in the once-proud boomtown was about
to become a living hell. The seaport was still
active, with cargo ships from the Caribbean
islands, Gulf coast, and Atlantic Seaboard in
and out of port sporadically. In 1840, a pair
of trade vessels entered the St. Joseph harbor
after visiting the Caribbean Antilles. Death, in
the form of yellow fever, arrived with them.
Unwitting carriers of the deadly disease, the
ships’ crewmen came ashore. Yellow fever
spread like wildfire and reached epidemic
proportions. The disease infected an
estimated 80% of the resident population
of St. Joseph by the summer of 1841, and
killed more often than not. By September of
1841, only 500 St. Joseph residents were left
alive – Peter W. Gautier, Jr., among them.
Incredibly, that same September, a powerful
hurricane swept across St. Joseph. The “gem
on the Florida seashore” was decimated by
destructive winds and storm surge that left
few, if any, homes and businesses intact.
The wharf was destroyed. Ships in port were
reduced to scrap and their
valuable cargo ruined. There
was simply nothing left. To
his credit, Gautier attempted
a fresh start after the storm,
but it was to no avail. He left
what remained of St. Joseph
in 1842, moved to Texas, and
was lost to recorded history.
By 1844, the city of St. Joseph
was nearly deserted. The few
hearty souls remaining were
driven out by a vicious tropical
storm that autumn, and the
town was finished. For the
next 60 years, only ghosts
and wild animals walked its
silent avenues.
them off the pier into the water, and rode in
carousel swings that lofted them through the
air and out over the bay.
In 1910, the Apalachicola & Northern
Railroad line to Port St. Joe was finally
completed. The driving forces behind the
new town’s economy became fishing,
pulpwood, and a new pastime referred to
as “autoing.” From its reincarnation in
1905 through the 1920s, Port St. Joe
thrived as seaside resort, lumber port
and fishing village. Passenger trains and
automobile caravans brought load after load
of visitors into town to picnic in the park,
dance in the pavilion, play on the water
slides, and ride the wind-powered carousel.
Then disaster struck again, this time in the
form of the Great Depression. Bank failures
and over-logging hit hard, reducing Port
St. Joe’s population to less than 1,000 souls.
Around this time, a wealthy industrialist
named Alfred I. DuPont bought thousands of
acres of timberland and beachfront property,
as well as banks and railroads, at bargain
prices. DuPont and his wife, Jesse (Ball),
moved from Delaware to Florida, and built
BUSINESS DISTRICT : PORT ST JOE : 1939
ST. JOE PAPER MILL : PORT ST JOE : 1959
St. Joseph lay abandoned until
1905, when Terrill Higdon
Stone built a log cabin near
the old town site. Interest in
the area was rekindled, and
the resurrected town was
renamed Port St. Joe to avoid
confusion on land deeds.
Life began anew as people
and businesses returned.
The original Port Inn was built in 1907. A
boardwalk led from the front door of the inn
straight to a bathing pier at the edge of St.
Joseph Bay, where Frank Pate Park is today.
Tourists played on giant slides that shot
a house in Port St. Joe called The Chateau,
right next door to the current Port Inn.
DuPont had spectacular ideas for Port
St. Joe, but his plans were never realized.
After his death in 1935, his successor
and brother-in-law, Edward Ball, decided
that Port St. Joe was the perfect site for a
paper mill. DuPont’s holdings, which Ball
controlled, formed the basis of the St. Joe
Paper Company. In 1938, the world’s most
modern paper mill opened in Port St. Joe.
As a company town, Port St. Joe enjoyed
decades of prosperity.
The population grew to over 6,000, and the
mill ran 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the little town
boasted its own bank, department stores,
jewelry stores, five auto dealerships and six
service stations. After 60 years of profound
community impact, however, the mill was
sold in 1998. Falling paper prices and
overseas competition forced the mill’s new
owners to shut down operations in 1999.
thereafter, development began in earnest.
Gordon Parker’s partners questioned the
wisdom of the purchase. They failed to see
the value in four miles of windswept dunes
and sandy soil. Gordon Parker remained
convinced, however, and the Mexico Beach
Corporation was organized. Parker’s son,
Charlie, eventually took over development
responsibilities for his father’s company. His
determination, vision and efforts shaped the
area into the Mexico Beach of today.
Charles M. (Charlie) Parker and wife,
Inky, moved their lives and two daughters
to the Forgotten Coast in 1949. Through
dedication, hard work and sacrifice, they
made Mexico Beach their home. The little
community suffered numerous growing
pains, with many plans for development
realized while others were shelved. Electric
power and water treatment were just two of
the many obstacles standing in the way of
progress, but the Parkers overcame them all.
Mexico Beach. Accounts of Mexico Beach’s
past are a little foggy before the early 1900s.
Sources agree that the first settlement in the
area was Fort Crevecouer, a French military
installation built in 1717. The fort’s life
Slow growth ensued, and Mexico Beach
was short, and it was abandoned as French
boasted several hundred residents by 1955.
interests in the Americas dwindled. Sparse
Always civic-minded, Charlie Parker led the
records indicate very little
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BILLBOARD : MEXICO BEACH : 1968
activity until the 1900s when
rumors of buried riches and
sunken ships brought treasure
hunters to the coast. One old
sailing ship was found buried
in local sands, but the name of
the ship and any record of its
cargo have been lost over time.
Businessman Felix DuPont
purchased the land now
occupied by the city of Mexico
Beach around 1900. Native
MEXICO BEACH CANAL : MEXICO BEACH : 1965
pine trees were harvested to
produce turpentine, and the
area gained a bit of exposure
to public eyes. Fishermen were
some of the first to embrace
the newly discovered, and
newly accessible, beaches.
The allure of amazing spring
and fall runs of migratory fish
were as difficult to resist then
as they are today. With the
completion of U.S. Highway 98
in 1933, the number of visitors
to the area vastly increased.
Livestock and wildlife still roamed freely
town in a program of intelligent growth,
along the new road, however, and lodging
community pride, and destination awareness.
options were limited. Growth was slow,
By 1966, the little beach town was ready to
and the sleepy community remained quiet.
incorporate, and the City of Mexico Beach
was formed. Residents immediately elected
In 1946, a small group of businessmen, led
Charlie Parker as their Mayor. By 2007, over
by Gordon Parker, W. T. McGowan, and
1,000 people called Mexico Beach home. ♦
J. W. Wainwright, purchased 1,850 acres
All historic images in this feature courtesy State of Florida
Archives / Florida Memory.
along the beach for $65,000.00. Shortly
hot
summer fishing!
BY DANIEL ANDERSON
F
ishing is a way of life along the
Forgotten Coast. Anglers flock to
regional waters every summer in
search of game fish. Spanish Mackerel, King
Mackerel, Speckled Trout and Tarpon are
popular targets, but how do you catch them?
Fishing along Florida’s Forgotten Coast
is among the most productive to be
found worldwide. My
son, Ethan, and I
have experienced this
first-hand. On one
occasion, we made
all-day fishing plans
and readied gear
specifically for King
and Spanish Mackerel.
The plan was to
troll the beaches of
Crooked Island. We
never made it out of
the bay. Less than a
mile from the ramp,
we had our limit of
Kings and Spanish.
your odds. Must See has picked the brains
of experienced anglers from Carrabelle to
Mexico Beach to provide some of the most
accurate and concise regional fishing advice
available, species by species. The methods
presented here have been tried, tested, and
validated in local waters. The formula for
success is simple. Follow this advice and
you will catch fish!
Speckled Trout can be
almost as cooperative
as Mackerel. On a
bay trip a few years
back, Ethan (then 7)
and his older brother
Joseph (then 9) caught
58 trout in a single
afternoon. Both boys
caught their first-ever
fish on topwater plugs MEXICO BEACH KING MACKEREL : COURTESY MEXICO BEACH ARTIFICIAL REEF ASSOCIATION
and jigged plastics
that day, and we released 48 trout to fight
Spanish Mackerel. Finding large schools
again. What happened to the other ten? They
of Spanish Mackerel is surprisingly simple.
were delicious!
They feed aggressively and usually force the
baitfish they feed on to the surface. That’s
Fishing trips like those don’t happen every
when you’ll see them. Look for silver shapes
day, but local waters do have a tendency to
knifing across the surface and fork-tailed fish
produce memorable catches, and advice from
leaping in small arcs. Sea birds often hover
the region’s salty veterans can vastly improve
and dive above schooling Spanish Mackerel,
too. When the water is rough, making
surface activity harder to spot, you can find
them by trolling. Spanish can be found
almost anywhere, but usually aren’t caught
in water less than 5 or 6 feet deep.
To catch them, troll (at 4-8 mph) using a
couple of lightweight spinning outfits with
christmas tree rigs or silver spoons anywhere
from 75 to 150 feet
behind the boat.
Fishing inshore,
concentrate your
efforts on areas with
dramatic bottom
contour, strong
tidal currents and
proximity to deep
water. Most Spanish
caught this way will
be in the 2-3 pound
range, but larger fish
are not uncommon.
Offshore, Spanish
are usually caught
over structure of
some kind. The
same rigs work, but
wise fishermen opt
for stouter gear
when leaving sight
of land. Spanish
Mackerel in the
open Gulf are rarely
alone. Their offshore
companions, quite
often prized King
Mackerel and
powerful Bonito, require tackle with more
backbone. Several areas along the Forgotten
Coast offer excellent Spanish Mackerel
fishing – the beaches of Crooked Island, the
buoy line just outside St. Joseph Bay, the
beaches and nearshore waters of Indian Pass,
the beaches of Dog Island, Dog Island Reef,
and the mouth of Ochlockonee Bay.
Bayou Bash
2015
.
INSHORE FISHING TOURNAMENT
When my friend Mark Moore, owner of the
St. Joe Shrimp Company, called me in the
Spring of 2013, I didn’t think much of it. I
figured it was an invitation for a fishing trip,
or maybe he needed a banner for his seafood
market. Wrong! He asked one simple question.
“What do you think about doing a fishing
tournament again?” That phone call led to the
rebirth of the Bayou Bash.
Initially, I begged off. I made excuses. “No
time,” I said. “Too much on my plate,” I
whined. To his credit, Mark graciously
accepted my responses. I thought I was off
the hook. Looking back, I think Mark knew
what would happen – he was just planting the
seed. The wheels in my head started spinning.
We didn’t have a tournament in 2013, but
ideas were bounced around. By the time 2014
arrived, we were ready to make the return of
the Bayou Bash a reality.
AUGUST 14th & 15TH
After discussing my ideas with Mark and a
few likely area merchants, we were suddenly
in the T-shirt business! The 2014 Bayou Bash
was funded through the sale of tournament
T-shirts. Thanks to the generosity and efforts
of Bluewater Outriggers, the Cape Tradin’ Post,
Gulf Foods, Half-Hitch Tackle, Hart’s Marine,
the Port St. Joe Marina, Scallop Cove and the
St. Joe Shrimp Company, the 2014 Bayou Bash
T-shirts sold like hot cakes!
T-shirts sales have enabled us to offer 100%
payout to fishermen at the Bayou Bash. Every
dollar taken in as entry fees gets paid back out
in prize money! That allows us to award
The Awards Ceremony immediately follows
the weigh-in, and then the Victory Celebration
commences. Anglers and spectators get one
final chance to purchase prize and 50/50
tickets – then the giveaways begin. Rods and
reels, coolers, cast nets, tackle boxes and much
more – Bayou Bash sponsors are very generous!
Afterward, there will be live music and good
times back on the Tiki Deck at Dockside.
During its heyday in the mid 2000s, the
Bayou Bash Inshore Fishing Tournament
was awesome. Almost 300 fishermen took part
in the 2007 tournament, and an estimated
1,500 people attended. The crowd was so
big that then-hopeful State Representative
Jimmy Patronis showed up to “do some
politicking” and ended up judging the Mullet
Toss! Traffic had to be re-routed by the Gulf
County Sheriff’s Office. Golf carts were used
to shuttle attendees – parking stretched nearly
a mile in both directions.
As the nation’s economy tanked, however, it
didn’t seem right to keep asking community
businesses for sponsorship money to fund the
event. Like so many other events during that
time, the Bayou Bash was no longer viable.
Scoreboards and banners were moth-balled.
Disappointed anglers were left wondering if
their days of competitive inshore fishing on
the Forgotten Coast were over. Few inshore
tournaments were even attempted after 2007.
None survived. Not a single one.
That realization, I suspect, is what prompted
Mark’s phone call – it certainly had an impact
on me. “Not even one?” I asked myself. “Hard
to believe.” So I checked around. I spoke with
local marina managers, queried bait & tackle
shops and questioned fishing guides. Nothing.
My first thought, “Unbelievable,” was followed
closely by a second, “Unacceptable!” Before
long, Mark and I were laying the groundwork
for the 2014 Bayou Bash. A major hurdle
remained, however – funding. Well aware of
the philanthropic burden already placed on
regional businesses, we agreed that soliciting
donations was not the way to go. Would it be
possible for the Bayou Bash to pay for the
Bayou Bash? We decided to find out.
Registration and check-in continue from
5:00am to 10:00am Saturday morning at the
Port St. Joe Marina, with fishing starting at first
light. Fishable waters are limited to St. Joseph
Bay, nearshore waters from Indian Pass to
Crooked Island Sound and MBARA reef sites.
Targeted species are Speckled Trout, Flounder,
Pompano, Spanish Mackerel, Sheepshead (one
fish weight) and Redfish (number of spots).
The weigh-in begins at 4:00pm, and all anglers
must be in line – with their fish – by 6:00pm.
Beer from Oyster City, as well as food and
beverages from Dockside, will be available
throughout the afternoon and evening.
Tournament proceeds are used to build and
deploy artificial reefs in local waters through
the MBARA (Mexico Beach Artificial Reef
Association). We call it the Bayou Bash Reef
Building Initiative, and every penny raised,
along with other funds in excess of tournament
expenses, goes directly toward reef building.
That means that every ticket, T-shirt, or beer
you buy gets the MBARA one step closer to
another reef module! In 2014, the Bayou Bash
raised almost $3,300 dollars - enough to
establish a new reef site with a 47-foot long
ferro-cement sailboat and “Florida Special”
reef module. We’ve set our sites on a 17-foot
tall “Super Reef” for 2015!
fantastic prizes to a large number of anglers –
there are 20 ways to win for adults and 10 for
kids, as well as grand prizes for Lady Angler
and Junior Angler. You don’t even have to
fish! Raffle tickets for prizes and a 50/50 cash
drawing will be available at the weigh-in, and
the public is invited!
Where, you may be wondering, will the 2015
Bayou Bash be held? Dockside Seafood and
Raw Bar and the Port St. Joe Marina are hosting
the event on Friday & Saturday, the 14th &
15th of August. Things get rolling on Friday
the 14th, with registration and check-in all
day long at the marina. Festivities begin on
Dockside’s Tiki Deck at 6:30pm with the
Captain’s Party and Sponsor Appreciation
Dinner – a low country boil, craft beer from
Apalachicola’s Oyster City Brewing Company,
and live music. It’s all free for fishermen and
sponsors, but paying guests can attend and
partake, too.
The Bayou Bash would not be possible without
the spark and enthusiasm of Mark Moore, his
sister Karen Lemieux, and all the staff at the
St. Joe Shrimp Company. Owners, managers
and staff at Bluewater Outriggers, the Cape
Tradin’ Post, Gulf Foods, Half-Hitch Tackle,
Hart’s Marine, Indian Pass Marine, Presnell’s
Bayside Marina, the Port St. Joe Marina and
Scallop Cove Bait & Tackle provided invaluable
assistance and priceless floor space to sell
T-shirts and raise funds. Cassie, Rex and Bo
at Oyster City Brewing Company keep the
beer flowing. Darren McDaniel at Dockside
Seafood & Raw Bar and Daniel Fussell are
the “hosts with the most.” Hugh Gulledge at
Show-Off Productions Screen Printing is “the
man” when it comes to T-Shirts. Rich Wynn
at Panache Tent + Event is a mind reader. Bill
Peevy at Coastal Angler generously assists with
marketing. They all have my sincere thanks.
Because of them, the Bayou Bash is back! ♦
37
King Mackerel. These denizens of the deep
make regular appearances along the beaches
of the Forgotten Coast, and sometimes find
their way into the deeper areas of our bays,
but experienced anglers target King Mackerel
a little further from shore. Spot a school of
Spanish offshore, and it’s a good bet that
there are at least a few Kings with them.
Again, trolling is the preferred method for
catching schooling King Mackerel. For these
predators, however, a conventional outfit
(minimum of 20 lb. class) is recommended.
Kings will strike big silver spoons, dusters,
and flashy plastics, but rigged-and-weighted
Cigar Minnows and large diving plugs really
get their attention. Schooling King Mackerel,
also called Snakes or Schoolies, weigh
anywhere from 6-15 lbs. and put up a great
fight. Big Kings, however, from 20-60 lbs.,
are rarely caught using the methods above.
If it’s big Kingfish you’re after, be prepared
to work a little harder for your catch. The
first step is acquiring frisky live baits before
heading offshore. Your best bets are blue
runners, also called hardtails, and cigar
minnows. A few passes
along almost any beach
trolling small spoons
is all it takes to put
hardtails in the livewell.
For cigar minnows,
stop by a buoy or piece
of nearshore structure
with a sabiki rig. Try
tipping the hooks with
a tiny piece of squid,
shrimp or chum if the
bite is slow. With the
livewell full, head to
the offshore wreck
or reef of your choice.
Upon arrival, you can
tackle your adversary
in one of two ways:
by slow trolling, or
by anchoring and
chumming.
Slow trolling. This
technique works best
with hardy blue
runners as bait, and
is used by serious
anglers targeting giant
Kings. Multiple baits
are fished at different depths while the boat
circles the outskirts of the structure being
fished. Speed is kept to a minimum – just
fast enough to keep lines from tangling. Slow
trolling lets anglers fish multiple locations
quickly because the boat is never anchored.
It’s “lines up and go” to the next spot when
the fishing slows down. Baits are returned
to the livewell without even being taken off
the hook!
Anchoring and chumming. This method brings
the fish to you! Anchor your boat slightly
up-current from offshore structure, then
drop a chum bag over the transom. Oils
and particulates from the chum will create
a slick on the surface and work their way
down through the water column. After a
few minutes, you will have the full attention
of any predators in the immediate vicinity.
Freeline a live bait back in the chum slick
and drop a couple more down to different
depths. It’s a great way to catch Kings,
and works well for other species including
Wahoo, Mahi-Mahi and Blackfin Tuna.
When the bite really gets going, frozen and
cut baits work, too. Plus, you can bottom
fish for Snapper and Grouper at the same
time. The down side of this technique?
Sharks like it...a lot.
Speckled Trout. Trout are always on the
move. They are voracious predators and
travel in and out of creeks, canals, and
bars, channels and other areas affected by
tidal flow. Small baitfish are concentrated
in these areas by moving water, and Trout
frequent them looking for an easy meal. Also,
Trout follow baitfish as they move on and
off grassy flats with rising and falling tides.
Three distinct Trout fishing techniques have
been proven productive year after year.
Topwater Plugs. There’s nothing better than
watching a gator Trout engulf a topwater
plug. Fish them over potholes and shallow
flats very early or very late in the day.
Live Baiting. More quality Speckled Trout are
caught on small, live baitfish fished far away
from a boat than by any other method. Top
baits are LYs, Pigfish, and Finger Mullet. Live
shrimp work well, too, but hungry Pinfish
often make it next to impossible to use
them. Live baits can be freelined, weighted,
or suspended under a float – all are effective
at times.
Scented Artificials. The most well-known of
these baits is “Gulp” by Berkeley, but these
days, new scent products can be applied to
almost any artificial
lure. There are two
primary techniques
for fishing scented
baits. The first is to
thread the bait on
to a lightweight jig
head, cast, and
slowly work it back
towards you along
the bottom. The
second method
suspends the bait
over grassy areas
beneath a float or
popping cork.
Tarpon. Known
as the Silver King,
Tarpon are widely
considered the
ultimate inshore big
game fish, and, aside
from sharks, are
the largest saltwater
fish you can catch
in shallow water.
They can weigh in
anywhere between
INDIAN PASS TARPON : COURTESY CAPT. DAN VAN TREESE, PERFECT CAST CHARTERS
25 and 200 pounds,
potholes as they search for food and respond
and invade Forgotten Coast waters each
to changing tides and water temperatures.
summer as water temperatures climb toward
To find them, think like them. Here’s a hint:
a balmy 80 degrees. Ravenous predators,
they’re hungry! Like all predators, Trout
Tarpon spend the warm summer months
want to expend as little energy as possible
hunting and feeding on the huge schools
while feeding. That’s why ambush is their
of baitfish that inhabit regional bays, passes,
modus operandi. Target creek mouths, oyster
and beaches.
The fishery kicks off in May, picks up in
June, and peaks in July and August, when
thousands of fish roll along the beaches and
ambush prey in the cuts. Things slow down
in September and October – early cold snaps
send the Silver Kings south for the winter.
Proper gear is critical when Tarpon fishing.
An eight-foot heavy action rod equipped with
a heavy duty, large capacity spinning reel is
ideal. Spooled with 40 lb. braided line and
a six-foot 80 lb. fluorocarbon shock leader,
this setup allows anglers to cast along the
beaches as well as wrestle giants up from the
depths. A sharp (very sharp!) 6/0 hook is a
must. Tarpon have tough, bony mouths, and
a solid hook set is critical.
Many variables influence where Tarpon
congregate and feed. Weather conditions,
tidal currents, topography, water salinity
and temperature all play a role. The first rule
of angling still applies, however. Find the
food – find the fish. For Tarpon, that means
finding the baitfish schools, and there are
three primary places to look – the beaches,
the passes, and the bridges.
The Beaches. Fish the beaches early in the
morning and at the tail end of an outgoing
tide. Look for nervous water and rolling fish
within a half-mile radius of any inlet, pass, or
cut. Move quietly. Anticipate their movement
and position yourself in front of the school.
Wait silently and cast as they approach
you. Dead baits can lay on the bottom, but
suspend live baits 6 to 8 feet under a float.
The Passes. Action in the passes is heaviest at
the peak of tidal flow, as baitfish are pulled
out of sheltered waters by strong currents.
Target turns and contours that concentrate
baitfish. When fishing live baits in the passes,
sinkers should rest on the bottom. Dead baits
can lay on the bottom or hang suspended
deep in the water column.
The Bridges. Moving water is critical for
bridge Tarpon, too. Feeding fish use the
bridge pilings as ambush points, and also
work the shadow lines cast by bridge spans.
Bridge fishing is best when salinity is high.
Heavy rains and too much fresh water will
push baitfish back to the passes and beaches.
At the bridges, let your bait, alive or dead,
drift with the current at depth.
When you hook a Tarpon, remember to
“bow to the king” when he jumps – lean
forward and point your rod tip straight at the
Tarpon to keep the fish from throwing your
hook. If you’re lucky enough to land a giant
Tarpon, take pictures, revive, and release
this mighty fish to fight another day. ♦
THE FORGOTTENJULY
COAST2015
EVENT CALENDAR
T H E F O RG O T T E N C OA S T ’S G O - T O GU I DE F OR RE G IO NA L E V E N T I N F O RMAT I ON
1 MEXICO BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
Through Thursday, July 30, 2015
The Mexico Beach CDC sponsors this great event for
shutterbugs. It started in April, but it’s not too late!
Submissions will be accepted until 3:00pm July 30th.
WHERE: Mexico Beach Welcome Center / Mexico Beach
INFO: MexicoBeach.com
1 RECREATIONAL BAY SCALLOP SEASON!
Through Thursday, September 24, 2015
Opening day was June 27, but there is still plenty of
time to track down these tasty bivalves. The grassy
shallows of St. Joseph Bay and Lanark Village are
great places to find them!
Opportunitie
s to
abound along celebrate America’s birthda
the Forgotten
y
Coast!
Recreational harvest of
delicious Bay Scallops
is permitted starting
on June 27th.
3 SGI INDEPENDENCE PARADE NO. 1
Friday, July 3, 2015, Noon
The first of two parades celebrating
Independence Day on SGI. Anyone in
costume, on a float or in a decorated
vehicle can participate. Wet & wild!
Saturday, July 11, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
Local seafood, produce, herbs, honey, homemade
breads and regional specialties every 2nd & 4th
Saturday at Apalachicola’s Mill Pond Pavilion.
3 APALACHICOLA INDEPENDENCE EVE CELEBRATION
WHERE: Mill Pond Pavilion (north end of Market Street), Apalachicola
INFO: ApalachicolaBay.org
WHERE: Riverfront Park / Downtown Apalachicola
18 C-QUARTERS YOUTH FISHING TOURNAMENT
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Open to kids 16 years and younger. Friday evening
fishing clinic and Saturday tournament - 9 categories
with 3 places in each!
3 FIRST FRIDAYS ART & MUSIC SERIES
Friday, July 3, 2015, 6:00pm
Enjoy live music as you relax with friends and
watch the sun go down over St. Joseph Bay.
WHERE: The Thirty Goat at the Port Inn / Port St. Joe
INFO: VisitGulf.com
The Boyer Ba
nd takes the sta
ge at the Thirs
ty Goat!
4 JULY 4TH AT THE SALTAIR FARMERS’ MARKET
24 GATOR CATFISH CLASSIC
Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25, 2015
Fishermen seek giant Catfish and great prizes!
4 FREEDOM FEST AT THE BLUE PARROT
WHERE: The Blue Parrot, St. George Island
INFO: BlueParrotSGI.com
WHERE: Gaskin Park Landing / Wewahitchka
INFO: FloridaCatfishClassic.com
e
rt St. Jo
and Po ekends.
hicola
e
c
w
la
r
a
e
p
A
m
kets in to start Sum
s
rs’ Mar
Farme re great way
a
4 BEST BLAST ON THE BEACH
Friday & Saturday, July 24 & 25, 2015
The 11th annual Offshore Classic features two days
of fishing! Captain’s Party Thursday night and fishing
Friday & Saturday. Wahoo, Dolphin & King Mackerel!
25 APALACHICOLA FARMERS’ MARKET
The Farmers’ Market returns to Apalachicola’s Mill
Pond Pavilion for its second visit of the month.
WHERE: Locations throughout Mexico Beach
WHERE: Carrabelle River Walk
INFO: Carrabelle.org
24 MEXICO BEACH OFFSHORE CLASSIC
WHERE: Mexico Beach Marina / Mexico Beach
INFO: MexicoBeachMarina.com
Mexico Beach’s Independence Day celebration with
the Sandy Shoes 5K Fun Run, kid’s fishing tournament
and spectacular fireworks show.
Celebrate the 4th along the Carrabelle waterfront.
The pyrotechnics begin at dark!
18 SALTAIR FARMERS’ MARKET
WHERE: City Commons Park (Hwy. 71 & Reid Ave.) / Port St. Joe
INFO: SaltAirMarket.com
Saturday, July 4, 2015, 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Celebrate our great country’s independence and enjoy
a seafood dinner while fireworks light up the sky.
“Oohs,” and “aahs,” music and fun – on the Tiki Deck.
WHERE: C-Quarters Marina, Carrabelle
INFO: C-QuartersMarina.com
The good stuff returns to Port St. Joe – SAFM round 2
for July at City Commons Park!
Extended hours and more vendors – fresh produce,
candles, tie-dye garments, cakes, jellies, pottery,
jewelry, arts and crafts. The market happens on
the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of every month in PSJ.
4 CARRABELLE 4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS
Monday, July 6, 2015, Noon
The second of two parades celebrating Independence
Day on SGI. Wet & wild! Bring your squirt guns!
Friday, July 3, 2015, Noon – 9:00pm
You read it correctly...they do it a day early in Apalach!
A parade, food, beverages, music and more!
6 SGI INDEPENDENCE PARADE NO. 2
WHERE: St. George Island
INFO: 850-927-5050
WHERE: St. George Island
INFO: 850-927-5050
Port St. Joe’s annual 4th of July celebration features
a spectacular fireworks display over St. Joseph Bay.
WHERE: Along the bayfront / Port St. Joe
INFO: VisitGulf.com
WHERE: Grassy shallow waters east of the Mexico Beach Canal
INFO: MyFWC.com
4 INDEPENDENCE ON THE COAST
fishing with
competitive
a!
Two days of e Mexico Beach Marin
th
at
es
iz
pr
t
ea
gr
31 CAPE ST. GEORGE LIGHT FULL MOON CLIMB
Friday, July 31, 2015
Take in the sunset and full moon rise from the top of
the SGI Lighthouse. Reservations recommended!
WHERE: Lighthouse Park / St. George Island
INFO: StGeorgeLight.org
43
THE FORGOTTEN
COAST
EVENT
CALENDAR
AUGUST 2015
1 RECREATIONAL SCALLOP SEASON CONTINUES!
The Bay Scallop harvest continues all month long!
INFO: MyFWC.com
Farm-fresh produce and
fresh seafood
highlight the offerings at
the SaltAir
Farmers’ Market in Port St. Joe. The perfect way to
kick-off a Saturday shopping trip!
Saturday, August 1, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
The 1st & 3rd Saturdays of every month bring fresh
seasonal produce from regional farmers to Port St. Joe.
$20,00
0
the C-Q in prizes awa
it
uarters
Kingfish anglers at
Shooto
ut!
1 C-QUARTERS MARINA KINGFISH SHOOTOUT
Saturday & Sunday, August 1 & 2, 2015
A guaranteed payout of $20,000 over 13 places makes
C-Quarters Marina’s Shootout a hotly-contested event.
New Spanish Mackerel category added this year!
WHERE: C-Quarters Marina / Carrabelle
INFO: C-QuartersMarina.com
Friday, August 7, 2015, 6:00pm
Enjoy live music with a view of St. Joseph Bay.
ge at the
t takes the sta
Travelin’ Ligh
St. Joe!
rt
Po
in
at
Thirsty Go
INFO: VisitGulf.com
The market visits Apalachicola’s Mill Pond Pavilion
every 2nd & 4th Saturday of the month.
8 18TH ANNUAL ST. GEORGE ISLAND SIZZLER
ore Fishing
The 2015 Bayou Bash Insh
the waters in
ply
n
rme
fishe
ent:
rnam
Tou
prize winning
and around St. Joe Bay for
pano,
Trout, Redfish, Flounder, Pom
pshead!
Spanish Mackerel and Shee
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Registration for this One Mile Fun Run and 5K Race
begins at 4:00pm – racing at 6:30pm and 7:00pm.
INFO: StGeorgeIslandSizzler.com
15 BAYOU BASH INSHORE FISHING TOURNAMENT
Anglers target Trout, Redfish, Flounder and more in
and around St. Joseph Bay. Great prizes and giveaways!
Funds raised benefit artificial reef building!
WHERE: Port St. Joe Marina / Port St. Joe
INFO: MustSeeMagazine.com
Round 2 for August in downtown Port St. Joe!
The market returns to the Mill Pond Pavilion for its
second visit of the month.
29 MBARA KINGFISH TOURNAMENT
This offshore fishing tournament benefits the MBARA.
WHERE: Mexico Beach Marina / Mexico Beach
INFO: MBARA.org
Champagne at
su
over St. George nset and a silvery full moo
n
Island on Augu
st 29th.
Sunset and full moon celebration at SGI Lighthouse.
The Mexico Beach Artificial
Reef Association hosts its
annual Kingfish Tournament
on Saturday, August 29, 2015.
THE FORGOTTEN
COAST
EVENT
CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER 2015
1 RECREATIONAL SCALLOP SEASON CONTINUES!
Get ’em while you can – the season ends on the 24th!
ts
Free outdoor concer
ht in
every Thursday nig
Park
September at Sunset
ch!
Bea
o
xic
Me
in
INFO: MyFWC.com
3 MUSIC IN THE PARK
Thursday, September 3, 2015, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Bring a cooler and a blanket – then relax and enjoy live
music and a beautiful Mexico Beach sunset. It happens
every Thursday night in September!
WHERE: Sunset Park / Mexico Beach
17 MUSIC IN THE PARK
Another evening of music by the sea in Mexico Beach!
Friday, September 4, 2015, 6:00pm
Watch the sun set over St. Joseph Bay with
live music and a bunch of friendly folks!
INFO: VisitGulf.com
Baby Gray ta
kes the stage
at the
Thirsty Goat
in Port St. Joe!
Saturday, September 5, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
produce from regional farmers, local seafood, art,
music and more to City Commons Park in PSJ.
September 24, 2015, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
The final night of Mexico Beach’s month-long music
series in Sunset Park.
Live music in Mexico Beach at Sunset Park as the
sun sets over the Gulf on Thursday night!
24 ROCK BY THE SEA
12 EARLY PEOPLE OF THE
FORGOTTEN COAST: 1500 to1800
WHERE: Franklin County Senior Center / Carrabelle
INFO: 850-697-2141
Musicians rock St. George Island at
the “Rock by the Sea” music festival
starting on September 24th!
Thursday – Saturday, September 24 – 26, 2015
An all-volunteer organized music festival to raise
money for children’s charities and other worthy causes.
Music at Harry A’s on SGI every night, a 5K Run, and
a Golf Tournament at St. James Bay on Saturday!
WHERE: Harry A’s Restaurant & Bar / St. George Island
INFO: RockByTheSea.org
25 CURTIS ANDERS MEMORIAL
FLORIDA CATFISH CLASSIC
Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26, 2015
The last leg of the North Florida Catfish Tournament
Trail - great prizes and even a kid’s division!
breads and regional specialties every 2nd & 4th
WHERE: Gaskin Park Landing / Wewahitchka
INFO: FloridaCatfishClassic.com
12 BEACH BLAST TRIATHLON & DUATHLON
Saturday, September 12, 2015
USA Triathlon-sanctioned event that attracts athletes
from all over the country. Swim! Bike! Run!
WHERE: Veteran’s Memorial Park / Beacon Hill
INFO: BeachBlastTriathlon.com
26 GCSO BASS TOURNAMENT
BASS
TOURNAMENT
The highly anticipated Fall Beach Blast
Triathlon & Duathlon takes place at
Beacon Hill’s Veteran’s Memorial Park
on September 12th!
for September at City Commons Park!
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Local historians Madeleine Carr and Joe Knetsch
share 300 years of fascinating history.
Great cash prizes await anglers
at this event benefitting the
Gulf County Sheriff’s Office &
Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranches.
Saturday & Sunday, September 26 & 27, 2015
This catch-and-release Bass tourney brings anglers
from all over to fish Lake Wimico, the Intracoastal
Waterway and the Apalachicola River Basin.
WHERE: White City Landing / White City
INFO: GCSOTournament.com
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Take in the sunset and full moon views from
the top of the St. George Island Lighthouse.
Reservations recommended!
THE FORGOTTEN
COAST
EVENT
CALENDAR
OCTOBER 2015
2 FLORIDA SCALLOP & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Friday & Saturday, October 2 & 3, 2015
Gulf County’s largest annual festival features
a fantastic musical lineup including country
music headliner Phil Vassar in concert on
Saturday evening! Attendees also enjoy arts
& crafts vendors, educational exhibits, food
vendors (with Bay Scallops, of course), the
Kidz’ Zone and much more!
The Driftwood Inn’s fabulous
Art & Wine
Festival is a Mexico Beach
tradition.
WHERE: George Core Park / Port St. Joe
INFO: ScallopFest.com
WHATEVER
FLOATS YOUR BOAT REGATTA
3
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Challenge friends, family and colleagues to
build boats out of stuff normal people throw
away. Artistic, wild or wacky – enter and race
or come out and watch!
WHERE: FSU Coastal & Marine Lab / St. Teresa
INFO: 850-697-4120
hil Vassar
usic star P
Country m at the 19th Annual
l
headlines
usic Festiva
allop & M ort St. Joe!
Florida Sc
P
in
An afternoon filled with artwork on display, a cash bar
featuring spectacular wines and beers, live and silent
auctions, and a juried show.
Saturday, October 3, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
seasonal produce from regional farmers, Gulf seafood,
meats, cheeses, breads, arts, crafts, jewelry, pottery and
more to downtown Port St. Joe.
WHERE: Driftwood Inn / Mexico Beach
WHERE: City Commons Park / Port St. Joe
10 BLUES IN THE LOT
Saturday, October 10, 2015, Begins at Noon
Great blues acts in Apalachicola playing
into the night. Don’t miss it!
WHERE: Downtown Apalachicola
INFO: 850-653-5564
10 APALACHICOLA RIVERFRONT
FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrate the art and love of film-making
in a beautiful outdoor setting! Independent
short films, local films, documentaries, student
films and more!
11 APALACH OKTOBERFEST 2015
Apalachicola’s Bowery Station
hosts its 2nd Annual Oktoberfest
on Sunday, October 11th!
Film genres including
environmental documentaries,
comedies, dramas, animation
and music videos – something
for everyone on the 10th of
October in Apalach!
Sunday, October 11, 2015, Noon – 8:00pm
Beer, brats, pretzels and great music...celebrate harvest
time in the Bavarian tradition!
WHERE: Bowery Station / Apalachicola
INFO: ApalachOktoberfest.com
15 BLAST ON THE BAY SONGWRITER’S FESTIVAL
Thursday – Sunday, October 15 – 18, 2015
For the 7th consecutive year, Old Florida hosts 30+
musicians who, collectively, have written hundreds of
songs for the likes of Faith Hill, George Strait, Jason
Aldean and Garth Brooks. It’s four unforgettable days
of music and storytelling in and around Port St. Joe.
WHERE: Venues throughout Port St. Joe
INFO: BlastOnTheBay.com
WHERE: Riverfront Park / Apalachicola
INFO: ApalachRiverFilm.com
October 17, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
for October at City Commons Park!
breads and regional specialties every 2nd and 4th
Starting on
October 15
th, spend fo
Nashville’s
ur da
fin
Songwriter’s est during the Blast on ys with
the Bay
Festival.
The 2nd & 4th
Saturday mornings
of each month are
a great time to
stock the pantry!
10 MEXICO BEACH ART & WINE FESTIVAL
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Take in the sunset and full moon views from the
top of the St. George Island Lighthouse. Reservations
recommended!
LANTERNFEST
31
Saturday, October 31, 2015, 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Spend an enchanted evening at the Crooked River
Lighthouse on Halloween!
WHERE: Crooked River Lighthouse / Carrabelle
INFO: CrookedRiverLighthouse.org
49
THE FORGOTTEN
COAST
EVENT
CALENDAR
NOVEMBER 2015
6 APALACHICOLA DOWNTOWN OYSTER ROAST
Seafood lovers
cannot miss
the Downtown
Oyster Roast
and Florida
Seafood
Festival in
Apalachicola
on the first
weekend in
November!
Friday, November 6, 2015, 6:00pm – 9:00pm
Dine under the stars and enjoy roasted oysters, oysters
on the half shell, fresh local shrimp, fantastic desserts
and live entertainment.
6 FLORIDA SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
Friday & Saturday, November 6 & 7, 2015
The 52nd Annual Florida Seafood Festival is a two-day
celebration of the world’s best seafood! Thousands of
attendees converge on Apalachicola to sample delicious
seafood and enjoy exhibits, contests and live music.
WHERE: Battery Park / Apalachicola
INFO: FloridaSeafoodFestival.com
The Forgotten
Coas
Championship t’s Two-Player
Golf Tournam
takes place N
ent
ovember 7th
& 8t
at the St. Jam
es Bay Golf Re h
sort.
Saturday, November 7, 2015, 9:00am – 1:00pm
seasonal produce from regional farmers, Gulf seafood,
meats, cheeses and more to downtown Port St. Joe.
WHERE: City Commons Park / Port St. Joe
Farm-fresh produce and
fresh seafood
highlight the offerings at
the SaltAir
Farmers’ Market in Port St. Joe. The perfect way to
kick-off a Saturday shopping trip!
7 BATTLE AT THE BAY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Saturday & Sunday, November 7 & 8, 2015
St. James Bay Golf Resort hosts this two-player team
golf tournament with Proximity Contests, Skins Games
and much more!
WHERE: St. James Bay Golf Resort / Carrabelle
INFO: StJamesBay.com
13 AUTOS & OYSTERS CAR SHOW
Friday & Saturday, November 13 & 14, 2015
A weekend filled with vintage cars, fine seafood
and some of the friendliest folks in Florida.
INFO: HistoricApalachicola.com
breads and regional specialties every 2nd and 4th
The Autos & Oysters Car Show makes
its debut November 13th & 14th
in downtown Apalachicola.
The market returns to downtown Port St. Joe!
Champagne
at sunset and
a silvery full
moon over
St. George
Island on
November
the 25th!
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Take in the sunset and full moon views from the top
of the SGI Lighthouse. Reservations recommended!
27 APALACHICOLA CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Friday, November 27, 2015, 4:00pm – 8:00pm
The River City lights up in celebration! Merchants
stay open late, Santa arrives by shrimp boat, more!
The market returns for its second visit of the month.
There is no such thin
g as “Black Friday”
in
Apalachicola, but Ch
ristmas begins
the day after Thanks
giving!

the cape san blas lighthouse

Transcription

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