Disaster do-gooders can actually hinder help
More than a week after an earthquake devastated Haiti, disaster organizers say they’re seeing the first signs of a problem that can hamper even the most ambitious recovery efforts: good intentions gone wrong.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34958965/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/from/ET

More “Tarpon Nazi propaganda”, The off island guides don’t bring their customers to Boca Grande, because the way some of them have been treated, and the statements that were made. By both the Beacon, and the BGFGA. The lack of consideration by “live baiters” in the pass, in the past, has left a bad taste in more than a few guides mouth. The pass don’t belong to the BGFGA, nor the residents of Boca. The simple, and plaine facts is that circle hooks don’t snag fish. They ork in the fashion the were designed too. And since Mr. Farish, and BGFGA ran full speed into a brick wall with that crusade. They have to try to take the back roads, and go after the possession tags. Good luck to you and your new found freinds the “Tarpon bonefish nuts”. On the frivoulous law suits and the waste of tax payer money. Couple question for the Beacon. How much money is generated to the island, during a PTTS event?
Are’nt the off island guides still contributing to the counties, in wich Boca Grande is part of?

I probably will regret even commenting on this never-ending “Tarpon Turmoil”! But after reading, ridiculous “Hate” comments & childish words towards the mainland guides & folks, I can’t help putting my “True Cents” in!

My family & I are fourth generation commercial fisherman & guides from S.W. FL. I have enjoyed “personally” catching Tarpon in Boca Grande & the surrounding waters since the early 70’s! I agree & disagree with both sides of this controversy!

First of all let me start with saying that my guide service contracts over 250 state-wide charters a year in FL & over half are in the Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande area! We utilize the services of the multiple businesses (hotels/condos, restaurants, rental agencies, golf, gift shops, marina’s, etc.) on Boca Grande Island in fact bringing tens of thousands of “mainland dollars” to the Island every year, yet I do not have to, I choose too!

Maybe some islanders/guides do not appreciate that but I’m sure if you ask any of those island business people they will whole-heatedly say “Thank You, Come Again”!

When the “Tarpon Wars” first started some 7 or 8 years ago, myself & others stopped sending any business to the island because we had many complaints from our clients about nasty comments, threats, etc from island guides & their clients whom fished with them!

After a year or two of that many of the Islands businesses we consistently used started calling to ask why? When we told them what was happening they said they were so sick of hearing about all the “Tarpon B.S” & assured us they would put a stop to it!

Myself & a friend put four boats in the pass last year all rigged with “underwater” drop line video equipment just to see for myself how the Tarpon reacted to jigs vs livebait, as we use both! When a school of Tarpon approached the artificial jig many ignored it just the same as they did with a live crab. Most of the Tarpon that did sample the jig turned on their sides to take it, this was exactly the same w/live crabs! The only difference was, they spit out the artificial very quickly (videoed grouper did almost the same feeding tactic) they held on to the live crab longer until they felt the line or hook! (I rigged the live crab on a drop-jig, the same way as the artificial)

It’s easy enough to try for yourself with video equipment if you don’t believe me! But here’s my question; when the Tarpon are “NOT” feeding, you see everyone drifting around the pass that are using ‘jigs or live-bait’ for hours without a single Tarpon hookup with just as many stacked in the pass as there was two hrs ago? Now, if the jigs are just “snagging” Tarpon, then WHY doesn’t everyone using jigs have a bent rod all the time???

Yes, I have foul hooked plenty of Tarpon over the years with both, live-bait & jigs but not enough with one vs the other to say that jigs are “only” snagging Tarpon, because the videos spoke for themselves!

I do agree that the method of trying to stay directly over the Tarpon at all times when using both is the wrong way to fish the pass for Tarpon, yes, it does put excessive pressure on the fish! Although, last year during an afternoon “Live-bait” tournament I saw almost every boat in the tournament towing around a dead Tarpon along side their boat, at first I thought it was to weigh it in but they continued to drift fish not going to the scale, I was shocked at this, I did not understand why, maybe someone could explain why they killed all those Tarpon?

Let’s look back at the World Famous, “World’s Richest” Tarpon tournament in BG & what happened to it! I personally know an old executive of a major corporation that use to sponsor thousands for that tournament.

He said that because of many factors, lieing, cheating, non-stop arguing between anglers/Capts & the BG Camber of Commerce wanting to hold the tournaments later & later in the season to keep business on the island longer, completely destroyed that awesome tournament! (in which my farther was a Capt. in as well)

He said; most of the bigger corporations pulled out their money because they were sick of how it was ran! Nothing good ever comes out of so much bitching, complaining & general turmoil among people, mark my word!

I want my children’s, children to enjoy BG Pass Tarpon fishing the same as my family & I have over the years & if there is something wrong with a type of fishing technique that can cause the demise of any fishery than “Hell Yes” lets change it, but to keep on with this “Tarpon B.S.” after a 2yr (non-bias) study was done, is definitely “CHURNING EVERYONE’S STOMACH”!!

Keep it up & they will make BG Pass a fish sanctuary…..believe it!!!