NAUTICAL MILE

P  U  B  L  I  C  A  T  I  O  N  S

Why is the sky Blue?

Thank goodness everyone asks why is the sky blue and no one asks the much harder question of why is the sky bright.

 

The Short Answer

The molecules which make up 99% of the earth's atmosphere do not absorb any wavelengths of visible light. Molecules in the air are not like indigo molecules which absorb red light and give blue cloth its color. Molecules in the air are not pigments. However, molecules in the air do scatter blue light more strongly than red light. This means that white sunlight has its blue components scattered to the side while its red components keep traveling straight. White sunlight bathes the atmosphere of the earth. The sky is blue because molecules in the air scatter blue to your eyes more than they scatter red.

 

But Why?

But why do molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue light more than red? The oxygen, nitrogen, and water molecules plus the argon atoms that make up most of the air do absorb ultraviolet light, in the region of the spectrum known as UV-C. (It is a good thing they do too, these dangerous germicidal UV wavelengths from the sun are stopped by the atmosphere before they can damage you and become homicidal.) The molecules in the air absorb the ultraviolet because their electron clouds have a resonance frequency in the ultraviolet. This means that if you hit the electron clouds, for example by colliding one atom into a molecule, the electron cloud in the molecule will shake back and forth about the nuclei at a resonant frequency in the ultraviolet.

 

Hit an atom with electromagnetic radiation and the electron cloud is shaken back and forth at the same frequency as that of the radiation. Shake the atom at resonance and the electron cloud motion builds up until the electromagnetic radiation is absorbed and the electron cloud makes a transition to a higher energy level. Some time after absorption by an atom emdash; perhaps a hundredth of a microsecond later emdash; light will be reemitted and the atom goes back to its lowest energy ground state. Often the reemitted light has the same energy and frequency as the absorbed light, however, it may also be reemitted as several lower energy photons. The reemitted light has no phase relationship with the incoming light at all!

 

When an incident wave of electromagnetic radiation, light, shakes the electron cloud at a frequency far away from resonance, the electron cloud oscillates and remits light. The reemitted light is not actually absorbed and reemitted, it is slightly delayed, by 10^-15 second or so, so that it has a small phase shift with respect to the incident light. Each time the light passes by an atom, part of it is scattered and comes out with the same frequency or color and a slight phase delay. Since it is delayed by every atom, the net result is a slowing of the apparent speed of light. This is characterized as the index of refraction of a material. The closer the electromagnetic wave is in frequency to the resonant frequency of an atom or molecule, the greater is the amount of light that is scattered by each atom, and also the greater the phase delay.

 

Blue light is closer in frequency to ultraviolet light than red light , so blue light is scattered more than red light. Quantitatively, the amount of light scattered is proportional to the fourth power of the frequency. So blue light that is twice the frequency of red light is scattered 16 times more strongly. Notice that red light is scattered a little, however it is overwhelmed by the blue scattering.

Why is the sunset red?

 

When white sunlight passes through a lot of atmosphere the blue is scattered out of the beam leaving the red in the beam. This is why the sky is blue and the setting sun is red.

 

The scattering occurs at all wavelengths. Violet light is scattered more strongly than blue, but there is less violet than blue in sunlight so the sky is not violet. Indeed there is more yellow and green in sunlight than blue but the combination of the amount of each color present in sunlight times the fraction of power of that wavelength that is scattered makes the sky appear blue.

 

Exploration: Single scattering and the polarization of skylight. Most sunlight scatters only one time from an air molecule on its way from the sun to your eye. Light that scatters once at a ninety degree angle will be polarized. Light that is scattered multiple times is not polarized. Look at the blue sky through polarizing sunglasses.

 

Exploration: White opal glass, blue by scattering

In a bead shop you can buy glass beads made from white opal glass. You may also be able to find larger pieces of white opal glass maybe even paperweights (Paperweights of white opal glass were first shown to me by Physics Professor Ken Bresher of Boston University.). In bright light the white opal glass looks blue, however if you shine light through it, the white opal glass looks yellow or  even orange. The glass scatters blue light more strongly than red light. The glass itself is clear, just as the air is clear. It does not absorb visible light as a pigment would. However, when the opal glass is made, tiny regions in the glass, smaller than a wavelength of blue light, become crystallized. These tiny regions of crystalline glass scatter light. Glass also has a resonance in the ultraviolet and so blue light scatters more than red light. (Silica aerogel scatters light the same way as white opal glass.)

 

Why are clouds white?

Clouds are made from water molecules gathered together into liquid drops which are usually larger in diameter than a wavelength of light. Individual water molecules in a gas state have a resonance in the ultraviolet and so scatters blue more than red. However, gather water molecules together into droplets of liquid which are larger than a wavelength of light and the scattered light becomes white.

 

When light strikes a sharp barrier between, for example air and liquid water, a portion of the light is reflected from the surface. In the case of small water drops the light is reflected in all directions and we say it is scattered rather than reflected. The amount of light scattered is proportional to the number of atoms within a cubic wavelength. (It is as if each photon had a width and a height of one wavelength and that the reflected light interacted with the molecules within a wavelength &emdash; actually 1/2 a wavelength &emdash; of the surface.) Thus red light with twice the wavelength of blue light will scatter from 23 or 8 times as many molecules as blue light. Thus each molecule scatters 16 times more blue light than red because the blue light is closer to resonance, and yet red light photons are scattered by 8 times as many molecules as blue ones because of their longer wavelength. The effects nearly cancel and the light scattered from water drops looks white.

 

At each surface of a water drop only 4% of the light scatters, however there are many droplets and so many surfaces and so the light suffers multiple scatterings. Clouds are thus opaque and white.

 

Why is deep water blue?

In addition to their resonance in the ultraviolet, water molecules also have a vibrational resonance in the infrared. This is why water molecules contribute to the greenhouse effect, absorbing infrared from sunlight. If you picture a water molecule as a shadow of Mickey mouse with the hydrogens as the ears, the vibration brings the hydrogen "ears" together and apart. When water molecules bind together to form liquid water, hydrogen bonds form between them. These hydrogen bonds stiffen the the oscillations of the hydrogens and raise the frequency so that it is closer to the red end of the visible spectrum. In fact, both liquid water and ice absorb some red light. This means that light transmitted through liquid water or ice becomes blue.

 

If there are living organisms in the water that use chlorophyll for photosynthesis this can give a green tint to the water.

 

If there is sediment in the water this can add some white or yellow scattering and make the deep blue into a pastel blue or milky white or brown.

 

Why is the sky bright?

Consider a beam of light passing through clean liquid water. Very little is scattered to the side. This is because in one wavelength of light there are thousands of water molecules. Each water molecule scatters light in all directions each with a phase corresponding to the part of the light wave that is hitting it at the moment. The sum of all of these phases is zero! So no light is scattered, (If you sum up all the phases of a sine wave over a complete sine wave you get zero.) However water molecules are always in motion, undergoing a random walk and changing the number of molecules in each half-wavelength of the water. The number of molecules in one half wavelength is different from the next, so the sine waves do not exactly cancel and some light is scattered even by perfectly clean water. The same is true for air. Thus the sky is bright.

 

The light scatters due to fluctuations in the index of refraction over distances about a wavelength of light in size. The same is true for the white opal glass. Since the scattering by each molecule is stronger in the blue, the overall color of the scattered light is blue.

 

The number of scattering crystals in each wavelength of light size region is small and varies from one region to the next. This gives rise to the scattering.

 

Molecules in the atmosphere, I say this rather than "air molecules" because air molecules is a slightly misleading phrase.

Dry air is made up of:

78% Nitrogen molecules, N2

21% Oxygen molecules, O2

1% Argon atoms

 

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When Alligators Attack

Alligators tend to feed mostly at dusk or during early evening. It is wise to avoid swimming in waters known to be inhabited by alligators during that time of day, particularly during summer months when alligators are most active. Since dogs and cats are the size animals that alligators tend to favor as prey, people should not allow their pets in the water if alligators are known to inhabit the area. In fact, a small animal on the shoreline is a tempting target for a hungry alligator and might draw the reptile’s attention to a human swimmer nearby.

 

Also, cleaning fish and discarding parts in the water is likely to attract alligators. Swimming or even dangling feet in the water where fish have been cleaned can be extremely dangerous. Using your feet or hands to search water bodies for golf balls can be dangerous too.

 

To Fight Off an Alligator:

 

Alligators six feet or longer are the ones most likely to attack humans. Once an attack takes place, the best thing the victim can do is to fight the alligator -- to create as much noise and confusion as possible. Usually the alligator will realize it has made a mistake by attacking a large animal it cannot overpower easily, and it will turn loose and flee.

 

General Information About Alligators:

 

Alligators no longer are classified as federally endangered species in Florida, but they are protected under the state’s classification of “Species of Special Concern.” The Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is conducting limited alligator harvests to harness the economic potential of having alligators in Florida. Alligator hides, meat and other parts are marketable.

 

Alligators are naturally afraid of humans, but they lose that fear when people feed them. At least one of the alligators that caused a human fatality was fed by humans prior to the attack. By tossing food scraps to alligators, people actually teach the reptiles to associate people with food. For that reason, it is illegal to feed wild alligators and crocodiles in Florida.

 

According to the FWC’s wildlife biologists, alligators seldom attack humans for any reason other than food. Alligators may growl and blow and snap their jaws shut to frighten intruders away from their nests, but they tend to avoid fighting humans. Most  serious alligator attacks recorded in Florida involved them seeking food.

 

Some “attacks” may be mere accidental collisions. Much the same way as a human investigates things by feeling then with his hands, an alligator investigates things by feeling them with his mouth. When a swimmer bumps into an alligator the reptile has a natural tendency to clamp his jaws down to find out what hit him.

 

Although alligators are quite agile and swift on land for short distances, attacks are most likely to occur in water. Before an attack, an alligator may stalk its prey, sometimes for hours. Once the reptile decides to attack, it usually swims underwater to within a few feet of its victim. Usually, it will surface and clamp down on an arm, shoulder or leg. Sometimes the alligator then will begin rolling over and over in the water and may dive in order to drown its prey.

 

Alligators can be fierce fighters, but they prefer prey that they can overpower easily. The size of the alligator and the size of the prey are the primary factors that will determine an attack.  

 

Florida’s precise population of alligators is unknown, but wildlife biologists say the state has 6.7 million acres of prime alligator habitat. In addition, alligators flourish in poor habitat, and some may venture into saltwater from time to time. Based on habitat carrying capacity, we believe that Florida’s adult wild alligator population is 1-2 million animals.

 

Frequency:

 

Alligators seldom attack humans, and fatalities from such attacks are extremely rare. However, confrontations of various types between the human and alligator populations are increasing. The influx of hundreds of new residents each day results in wildlife habitat loss. As alligators are crowded out of their natural habitat, they become more likely to wander into residential and commercial districts in search of food and a nesting place. Since 1948, the FWC has documented 342 attacks on humans; 15 of these attacks were fatal. Eight other cases involved individuals who may have been dead before the alligator attack.

 

 

Fatal Alligator Attacks

Sharon Holmes, 16, female, was attacked while swimming in Oscar Scherer State Park, Sarasota County, on August 16, 1973 at dusk. The 11’3” male gator had been fed by visitors.

 

George Leonard, 52, male, was attacked while swimming in the Peace River Canal, Charlotte County, on September 28, 1977 just after dark. The 7’ gator appeared the same day as the attack.

 

Phillip Crespo, 11, male, was attacked while swimming in a canal in St. Lucie County on August 6, 1984 at 4:30 PM. The alligator was 12’4”, aged and in poor health.

 

George Cummings III, 29, male, was attacked while snorkeling in the Wakulla River on July 13, 1987 at 2 PM. The gator was an 11’ healthy male.

 

Erin Glover, 4, female, was attacked while walking along the shore of Hidden Lake, Charlotte County on June 4, 1988 at 6:10 PM. The gator was a 10’7” male.

 

Bradley Weidenhammer, 10, male, was attacked while wading in the Loxahatchee River at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County on June 19, 1993. The gator was an 11’4” male.

 

Grace Eberhart, 70, female, was attacked at Lake Serenity in Sumpter County on October 3, 1993. The circumstances surrounding her death are unknown, but she died of a broken neck caused by an alligator bite to the throat and head. Several alligators may have been involved in the attack. The largest measured 9’7” long.

 

Adam Binford, 3, male, was attacked at Lake Ashby in Volusia County on March 21, 1977. The child strayed outside the roped off swimming area in a county park to pick some lily pads when an 11’ alligator attacked him. Splashing dogs in the area may have attracted the alligator. His body was recovered the next day about a mile from the site of the attack. A licensed trapper caught and destroyed the gator.

 

Samuel Wetmore, 70, male, was attacked in a pond near his residence in Venice in Sarasota County. He was found on May 4, 2001, and the county medical examiner determined that he died from multiple repeated trauma and loss of blood. An 8’4” alligator was removed and destroyed.

 

Alexandria Murphy, 2, female, was attacked at Lake Cannon in Polk County on June 23, 2001. She wandered 700 feet from her fenced backyard where she had been playing when last seen by her mother. A 6’6” alligator was removed and destroyed.

 

Robert Steele, 82, was attacked near his house on Rabbit Road in Sanibel on September 11, 2001. Steele was walking his terrier

On a narrow path that ran between two wetland areas close to JM “Ding Darling” National Wildlife Refuge when a 10’9” gator attacked him and dragged him into the water severing his leg. FWC officers destroyed the gator. Another 6’ gator was removed.

 

Brian Griffin, 12, male, was attacked while swimming near a boat ramp in the Dead River in Lake County on June 18, 2003. The male alligator that injured and drowned Griffin was 10’4” long and weighed 339 lbs. That alligator and several other large alligators were found and destroyed.

 

Janie Melsek, 54, female, was attacked while landscaping along Poinciana Circle, Sanibel. The alligator that attacked was 12’3” long and was removed and destroyed.

 

Michelle Reeves, 20, female, was attacked while swimming after midnight in a recreation pond at the Lee Memorial Health Park in Lee County. Reeves was visiting the area during a college break. The male alligator was 7’11” long, and was removed.

 

 

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Re: What is a "Knot"

Knots and Nautical miles are good old navy terms. The Nautical Mile was based on the circumference of the earth at the equator. Since the earth is 360 degrees of longitude around, and degrees are broken into 60 so-called "minutes", that means there are 360 X 60 = 21,600 "minutes" of longitude around the earth. This was taken as the basis for the nautical mile; thus, by definition, 1 minute of longitude at the equator is equal to 1 nautical mile. So the earth is ideally, by definition, 21,600 nautical miles (and 21,600 "minutes" of longitude) in circumference at the equator. If anyone ever asks you how far is it around the earth, you can quickly do the math in your head (360 degrees X 60 minutes per degree) and answer "about 21,600 nautical miles"!

In fact, even modern navigators use the "minute of latitude" on charts to measure distance; this is what you see them doing when they use their compass spreaders while they are hovering over their nautical charts (maps). For geometrical reasons, we use the minute of latitude on charts to correspond to a nautical mile rather than the minute of longitude. Minutes of longitude shrink as they move away from the equator and towards the poles; minutes of latitude do not shrink. Take a look at a globe with longitude and latitude lines marked on it to understand why.

Using the definition of a nautical mile for distance at sea, the challenge was to measure speed -- i.e. what is the ship's speed in nautical miles per hour? (By the way, the nautical mile is about 1.15 larger than the "statute" mile used by land lubbers.) Since [speed] = [distance] divided by [time], if we measure a small distance (or length) in a small time we can do the math and figure our speed.

 

The device that sailors used to make their speed measurement was called the "chip log". Chip as in chip of wood, and log as in to record in a log. The chip was a wedge of wood about 18" in size; it was tied to one end of a rope on a large spool. The rope had knots tied into it about every 47'3" (more about how that was calibrated below).

The wooden chip was thrown overboard at the ship's stearn (back end). Because of its wedge shape, it would "grab" the water and start pulling out rope as the ship moved forward at some yet unknown speed. One man would hold the spool of rope as it played out; another man would start a sandglass filled with 30 seconds of sand; and a third man would count the knots as they passed over the stearn board. When the 30 seconds of sand expired, the time keeper would call out and the counting of knots would stop.

The faster the ship was sailing, more knots and a longer length of rope were played out. The number of knots in the rope that were counted in 30 seconds, then, was equal to the speed of the ship in nautical miles per hour. A "knot", therefore, is not a nautical mile, it is a nautical mile per hour. Thus 1 knot was equivalent to 1 nautical mile per hour; 5 knots were equivalent to 5 nautical miles per hour; etc. The similar sound of "knot" and "naut" is entirely coincidental.

Finally, what about the actual values of 47'3" between knots on the rope and the 30 seconds that were used with the chip log? The length was based on converting [1 nautical mile per hour] to [feet per second(fps)], and then multiplying [fps] by 30 seconds (which was a practical time to spend counting knots with a sandglass). The result was the calibrated length in feet at which to tie the knots for a 30-second run of the chip log.

 

Now that we have much more precise technology to measure things, and because we need to establish international standards and conversion factors, and because the earth is not uniformly flat or round anywhere, and because even the precise definition of the second has changed, the official value for how many international feet in an international nautical mile has changed. Likewise, the measuring time of about "30 seconds" in the sandglass is now calibrated at 28 seconds. Time itself didn't change by 6.7%! But the cumulative effects of new international standard definitions for time, feet, statute miles, and nautical miles and more accurate measurements of the actual size of the earth -- and the fact that we don't use sand to measure time anymore -- have changed the modern calibration of the chip log.

 

 

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The history of the Bikini

What you may not have considered is this: We now stand poised at a historical crossroad, a crucial cleavage in the history of the swimsuit. Nineteen ninety-seven is the dawn of a new age, the first year of the second half of the Bikini Century. This raises several vexing questions, not the least of which are, Where is the bikini heading? Can I follow it there? And if so, will I have to wear sunglasses and pretend I'm not looking?

 

With so much at stake, I was asked to compose the following bikini lines, to offer these bikini waxings. Please-allow me to bikini brief you.

 

I am eminently qualified to do so, having just screened the actual motion pictures Bikini Beach, Bikini Squad, Bikini Drive-in, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini, Stocks and Blondes (um, it had a bikini on the box) and It's a Bikini World. To which the following pages will wholeheartedly attest: It certainly is a Bikini World.

 

In this issue you will circumnavigate that world on a navel expedition more epic than Magellan's. Since last September, SI has endeavored to visit every important port in Bikinidom, or to burn-and-peel trying. I was appointed Official Bikini Researcher, which only sounds as if it belongs on a T-shirt sold in truck stops, next to those declaring I'M WITH STUPID or TAKE ME DRUNK, I'M HOME. In fact, my work would address some serious swimsuit issues and require exhausting excursions to centers of swimwear scholarship. Which is to say, St. Tropez.

 

St. Tropez is home to Club 55, a bistro frequented by bikini icon Brigitte Bardot, who helped bring the suit to prominence, as did pinup girl Diana Dors, who in '55 sported a mink number at the Venice Film Festival. "Nineteen fifty-five was to the bikini what '54 was to black school children and '56 was to Hungarian freedom fighters," says my colleague Alexander Wolff, whose story on Monaco begins on page 36 and whose company-mandated psychiatric examination begins on Tuesday. Good luck, Alex!

 

Though close, the French Riviera is not quite ground zero in Bikini World. That distinction belongs to the actual ground zero itself: to Bikini, the Pacific atoll on which A-bombs were tested in 1946. That year, Louis Réard, a French automotive engineer who was running his mother's lingerie business, named his new two-piece, atom-sized swimsuit for the test site, and the rest is history: The bikini was born.

 

Thanks to the combination of surf, song and skin, it was a bikini world in '67 courtesy of Joe Russo.

 

In fact, mosaics found in the fourth-century villa at Piazza Armerina in Sicily are festooned with women wearing bikinis. And cavewomen wore fur bikinis (and mascara) as early as the Stone Age, if the appearance of Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. hews to prehistorical fact. And who's to say it doesn't? But that is neither here nor there.

 

Bidding adieu to the Riviera, we next dropped anchor off the coast of Venezuela, spending several buenas noches on Los Roques. There, E.M. Swift went fishing with supermodel Niki Taylor. This, too, was an epochal event: The first time in swimsuit issue history that a fishnet was used for-get this-actual fishing.

 

I likewise spent some time angling, though this regrettably had nothing to do with fish. It happened in Malibu at the rented beach house of three swimsuit models. In accordance with the restraining order filed against me in California, what occurred there can be recounted only in a fictionalized form. All parties are forbidden to comment further. Can we just move forward?

 

Very well. You will notice that this issue is peopled with professional athletes, as well as models in various stages of undress. (By the way: Undress is believed to be a contraction of Ursula Andress, who as a Bond girl named Honeychile Rider wore history's most memorable bikini in Dr. No. It was accompanied by a hip holster that held a hunting knife and generally looked more in keeping with J.R. Rider than H. Rider. But I digress.)

 

In Hawaii, for instance, we photographed members of the women's beach volleyball tour. They are among the few professional athletes to actually compete in bikinis, including, of course, the mysterious Swedish Bikini Team members, whose "sport" was about the only thing never made explicit by those beer commercials in which they starred.

 

Of course, Hawaii itself is not so much associated with bikinis as it is with grass skirts. So we commissioned a designer to combine the two concepts. The result is worn by Chandra North (in a grass bikini, by Mother Nature, $5 a square foot). We believe it is the future of swimwear. But seriously: "Who did design the grass bikini?" I asked swimsuit issue editor Elaine Farley. "Monsanto?"

 

"Moschino," she corrected me.

 

In 1964 the two-piece became a fixture on dormitory walls around the country with Babette March's appearance on SI's first swimsuit cover photograph by J. Frederick Smith

I am not making this up.

 

The suit was "grown" by the Italian clothing design firm of Moschino, which suggests that you wash on gentle cycle and lay flat to dry.

 

While looking into bikinis, as it were, I happened upon the seaweed bikini, macramé bikini, vinyl bikini, string bikini, mink bikini, rubber bikini, monokini, Brian Hyland's Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini, Chanel's infamous "eye-patch" bikini and the irrepressible tanga, "thong" or "dental-floss" bikini, responsible for the crack epidemic on Brazilian beaches. But none were so intriguing as the grass bikini, and I for one think we blew a rare opportunity in neglecting to have Steffi Graf pose in her best surface, rather than on it.

 

That's right. Now it can be told: Graf is our Fräulein February, having been photographed in a double-secret-probationary shoot in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, last December. Everyone agrees that she looks wunderbar, which reminds me: Wonderbra model Eva Herzigova also helps us pay homage to Bikini Atoll by barely wearing a bikini at all.

 

How's that? You say you'd like to turn to those photos straightaway? Then I'll cut my remarks short. I had so much more to tell you about swimsuits, but it's obvious we're not on the same page here. (Probably in the most literal sense of that phrase. You turned to Tyra Banks 10 minutes ago, didn't you?)

 

What's the use? You say, "Moschino"; I say, "Monsanto." You say, "Wonderbra"; I say, "Wunderbar." Moschino, Monsanto, Wonderbra, wunderbar: Let's call the whole thing off. HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF THE BIKINI BATHING SUIT FROM PEOPLE MAGAZINE

(A revealing history of the timeless two-piece)

1946: An explosive year. Bikini Atoll becomes no Bikini at all. In Paris, engineer Louis Reard quietly unveils a swimsuit of the same name. The world yawns.

 

1951: Bikinis, perhaps seen as an unfair advantage to the wearer (and as potentially dangerous to the health of some judges) are banned from beauty pageants after the Miss World Contest. The tasteful one-piece reigns supreme.

 

1957: Bikini-clad Brigitte Bardot frolics in "And God Created Woman," creating a hot market for the swimwear. Coincidentally, Hollywood markets 3D glasses in theaters.

 

1960: Brian Hyland sings "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," triggering a bikini-buying spree among American teens.

 

1963: The bikini meets a challenge in the generous form of Annette Funicello. The ex-mouseketeer's "Beach Party," with singer Frankie Avalon, leads to six sequels, including the memorably titled "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" (in 1966). No special effects were used.

1964: The bi- ("two") kini becomes the mono- ("one") kini, in the eyes of designer Rudi Gernreich. The Vatican denounces the topless garb. An unrepentant Gernreich sells more than 3,000 suits in less than a season in Europe. More Americans go abroad.

 

1966: The bikini grows fur in "One Million Years B.C.," which catapults comely cavegirl Raquel Welch to stardom despite mixed reviews of the saggy screen saga.

 

1970s: Rio and St. Tropez produce the Tanga suit-- also called the Thong, the string bikini or "dental floss." The uncomfortable design becomes de rigeur for teen posters, muscle car magazines and boxing ring girls who announce the rounds.

 

1983: Carrie Fisher, as Princess Leia, wears an ornate version of the bikini (studded collar optional) in "Return of the Jedi." Even Yoda notices. The film is the most successful of the George Lucas trilogy.

 

1993: Score one for the "sports bikini." The hugging halter-top design becomes the rage, thanks to Volleyball queen Gabrielle Reece and MTV.

 

HISTORY OF THE BIKINI BATHING SUIT

Louis Reard (ray-YARD) had this problem. He had designed Something that would stir the masses. But he needed a name for it, something exotic, bold, and eye opening. Four days before he was to show the world his new bikini in Paris, the U.S. Military provided him with a name. They exploded a nuclear device near several small islands in the Pacific known as the "Bikini Atoll". On July 5th, 1945, he unveiled the bikini. lthough he would later claim he named the bikini after the islands and not the atomic blast, he was clearly taking advantage of a "hot topic". Another Frenchmen, Jacques Heim, had created his own two piece bathing suit, which he called "The Atome", and he described it as "The world's smallest bathing suit.

 

Reard called his "Smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit."

 

Reard's "bikini" was so small, in fact, that no Parisian models at the time would wear it on the runway. He hired Micheline Bernardini, who had no qualms about strolling around in a bikini, seeing as her day job was a nude dancer at the Casino de Paris. Bernardini was not what you'd a classic beauty, but after photos of  her in a reclining pose hit the press, she was swamped with fan mail, close to 50,000 letters.

 

Two piece suits weren't new. As part of wartime rationing, the U.S. Government, in 1943, ordered a 10 percent reduction in the fabric used in woman's swimwear. Off went the skirt panel, and out came the bare midriff. At beaches across the country, men paid special attention to women doing their patriotic duty. But Reard pushed the envelope. He shrunk his suit down to 30 inches of fabric - basically a bra top and two inverted triangles of cloth connected by string - and put the navel on center stage.

 

The world took notice. In Catholic Countries - Spain, Portugal, and Italy - The bikini was banned. Decency leagues pressured Hollywood to keep it out of the movies. One writer said it's a "two piece bathing which reveals everything about a girl except for her mothers maiden name." Movie star Esther Williams who probably was seen in a two piece bathing suit by more people than anyone in the world, once said: "A bikini is a thoughtless act".

 

It's not clear whether she was talking about the bikini or the thought of wearing one. Reard's firm did it's part to fan the fantasies by proclaiming that a two piece wasn't a bikini "unless it could pulled through a wedding ring." In the '50's Brigitte Bardot did wonders for business- But not in modest America. Here it remained an invitation to scandal. As recently as 1957, Modern Girl magazine sniffed, "It is hardly necessary to waste words over the so called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing. By 1960 America was ready for new frontiers, including, it seemed, great expanses of bare flesh. That year pop singer Brian Hyland immortalized the suit with his song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Three years later "Beach Party", the first in a series of Annette Funicello / Frankie Avalon flicks with a recurring theme of women danicing in bikinis, hit the big screen.

 

Times and tastes change, however, and just as importantly, people age. Through the '80s and early '90s, the bikini sales began to slide. Sales dropped to less than a third of the women's bathing suit market. in 1988 Reard's company folded.

 

The bikini, however, appears to be making a comeback. Sales are up! Some cite the "Baywatch"

factor - or perhaps the Internet itself.

 

 

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Color Underwater

The light spectrum is well known. "ROY G. BIV" is an acronym used to remember the colors from one end to the other. From left to right the letters stand for: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. A mixture of all the colors makes white light. That is, if one were to take 7 flashlights, each of which was giving off one of the listed colors, and shine all the different colors on a white wall, the spot of light would be white! A white light, therefore, gives off all the colors.

 

Water acts as a selective filter. If one were to suspend a white light above the surface of a tank of water that was 1000' deep, the colors from the white light would be filtered out selectively one-by-one. It is gradual. There is no abrupt interface. For example, most of the red is gone from the light after 10 feet. Some of the orange is gone. Less of the yellow is lost, etc. At 25' most of the orange is gone. At 35' most of the yellow is gone. This continues through the spectrum until all that is left is violet light and that fades out after hundreds of feet. So, at the bottom of this 1000' tank of water there would be little or no light!

   

Selective filtration creates conditions that make diving interesting. If a diver is bleeding at 60', where there is no red light, the diver bleeds a greenish-black blood. Taking a photograph at 30' would result in most objects appearing green, blue, violet, or black. Taking the same photograph with a flash (white light) would reveal startling colors that were not seen by the diver. Remember, the selective filtering by water occurs in any direction. So a camera's flash will lose most of its true color effectiveness after a distance of as little as five feet! That is because the light would leave the camera, hit the object 5 feet away and then return to the camera. In that 10 foot travel distance most of the red would be gone and the orange would be diminished.

   

Neon colors do not loose their color like spectrum colors do. This author has video photographed a red stripe on a wet suit turn to black as a diver descended. Neon red and "hot pink" still were sending out bright color at 100'. That is because they fluoresce. Ultraviolet is found after violet on the spectrum. It is invisible to humans. It, like violet, goes to extreme depths. When a neon color is struck by the invisible ultraviolet it glows.

 

At the other end of the spectrum is the red light that is filtered out by water rapidly. Beyond the red light there is a part of the spectrum that humans cannot see but can feel. It is infrared. (In the far red.) It is also known as heat. That is the energy that one can feel standing in front of a fireplace even though all the hot air, smoke, and gases are going up the chimney. Heat energy travels at the speed of light. You thought red light had trouble going deep in water. Infrared cannot penetrate 1mm! So you might wonder how the oceans get warm if heat cannot get down into the water? It's not the heat from the sun that makes the oceans warm. It is all the colors that are selectively filtered by the water. They are "captured" by the molecules of water and are converted to heat energy because the molecules are made to move faster.

 

Carry a flashlight with you when you are scuba diving. Even a small light will reveal colors that are startling and would have gone unnoticed!

 

The above information assumes the water has good visibility. Patty Ryan in the Sept./Oct. issue of Sportdiver, states that the theoretical visibility for distilled water is 242 feet. Seeing further than that underwater is not possible. There are several pollutants that decrease water's visibility and also change the color and color penetration. If the water has silt and/or clay in it, the visibility may drop to almost zero and will have a brownish color. There are times when a lake, such as Minnewaska in New York State, will have a beautiful blue water color with a visibility of 35 to 40 feet. A sudden thunderstorm may cause a runoff bringing clay into the lake. I have seen the visibility close to shore drop from 30 feet to 1 foot in several minutes! If the water has an excessive growth of algae the color of the water will be green. The more the algae, the darker the green and the less the visibility. Sometimes the growth is seasonal. Some bodies of water have great visibility in the winter, and when the summer visitors arrive the amount of human waste runoff increases promoting an algae bloom. There are other pollutants that color the water. Tannic acid, especially from pine trees, can color the water brown even though it may be clear. Rotting vegetation and iron may cause a brown color, and paper mill runoff can leave it looking similar to milk.

 

 

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Sulunar Theory

In 1926 John Alden Knight* postulated some folk lore he picked up in Florida and proceeded to attempt a refinement, giving it the name Solunar (Sol for sun and Lunar for moon). Knight compiled a list of 33 factors which influence or control day-to-day behavior of fresh and salt-water fish. Everything was taken into account that could possibly have any bearing on the matter.

 

One by one the factors were examined and rejected. Three of them, however, merited further examination. They were sun, moon and tides. Surely the sun could have no effect since it’s cycle was the same day after day, whereas the observed activity periods of fish were apt to be present at most any time of the day or night. The moon had already been weighed and found wanting. Tides? Surely there could be no tidal movement in a trout stream.

 

But the fact remained, however, that the tides had always guided salt-water fishermen to good fishing. Could it be that the prompting stimulus lay in the influence of the sun and moon which cause the ocean tides, rather than the actual tidal stages?

 

When the original research was being done only the approximate time of moon up - moon down were considered. Gradually, it became evident that there were also intermediate periods of activity that occurred midway between the two major periods. Thus the more evident periods were called MAJOR PERIODS and the two intermediate periods, shorter in length, were called MINOR PERIODS.

 

One convincing experiment was when Dr. Frank A. Brown, a biologist at Northwestern University, had some live oysters flown to his lab near Chicago. Oysters open their shells with each high tide, and Dr. Brown wanted to see if this was due to the change in ocean levels or to a force from the moon itself. He put them in water and removed them from all sunlight. For the first week they continued to open their shells with the  high tides from their ocean home. But by the second week, they had adjusted their shell-openings to when the moon was directly overhead or underfoot.

 

Knight first published his  tables in 1936. Then, and today, one must calculate the precise times from each table taking into account the geographic location (east or west) of a base point (Time Zone), and adjusted for Daylight Savings Time when appropriate. The tables are rounded to the nearest 10 minutes.

 

An example of the deviation in time in a particular state would be Texas here the times from El Paso on the western border and Hemphill on the eastern border is 51 minutes (Hemphill is 51 minutes earlier than El Paso).

  

PROVING THE THEORY

To substantiate the  theory, insofar as fish are concerned, John Alden Knight attempted a systematic inquiry to acquire complete details surrounding the capture of record catches. Both individual large  fish ... and large numbers. He examined approximately 200 of these catches. Over 90 percent were made during the dark of the moon (new moon) when the effects of of the  periods appear to be greatest, and, more important, they were made during the actual times of the Solunar Periods.

 

Initially, only the behavior of fish was considered. During 1935 to

1939 Knight made extensive studies of game birds and animals. As had been suspected, these also responded to the prompting stimulus of the periods.

  

PEAK DAYS

It is now known that the sun and moon are the two major sources of the astral energies that daily bombard the Earth and all her life forms. The closer they are to you at any given moment,

the stronger the influence. The day of a NEW or FULL MOON will provide the strongest influence in each month.

 

PEAK MONTH

 

June always has more combined sun-moon influence than any other month. During a FULL MOON the sun and moon are nearly opposite each other and very few minutes pass without one or the other being in our sky. During a NEW MOON, both bodies are in near-perfect rhythm traveling the skies together with their forces combined. Because of the interaction between the many lunar and solar cycles, no two days, months or years are identical.

 

PEAK TIMES

When a  period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset you can anticipate great action!

 

When you have a moonrise or moonset during that period the action will be even greater.

 

And, finally, when the above times occur during a NEW or FULL MOON, you can expect the best action of the season!

 

LENGTH OF PERIODS

Every fisherman knows that fish do not feed all the time. He knows, also, that for some reason fish often go on the feed and take most any offering, be it live bait or artificial. This sort of thing happens, according to John Alden Knight (the originator of the theory) during a  period. To be sure, fish usually feed actively at sunrise and sunset, but generally, the real fishing of the day is at the “odd hour” feeding periods. If the weather and feeding conditions are favorable the fish will be active for one-two hours.

 

BEST FISHING DAYS

For those fishermen who enjoy fishing at sunrise/sunset here are the absolute best dates to be on the water at your favorite spot.

 

These are the Major or Minor  Periods that fall near the times of Sunrise or Sunset during a Full or New Moon. It has been documented that when this condition exists fish will bite on anything they see or smell. Limits are almost guaranteed provided there are fish in the vicinity.

 

It’s no secret that fish and game tend to feed during dawn and dusk (sunrise and sunset). What amplifies the activity is the effect

of a moonrise or moonset plus the specific monthly periods of New (dark) and Full (light) Moons.

 

When the times coincide with a moon-rise or a moon-set the action can be spectacular.

 

Finally, a change in the local weather coinciding with the periods will further enhance the activity.

 

For an interesting article on this subject, visit "The Real Scoop" on using the theory to your advantage.

  

WATCH THE WEATHER

For best results the tables must be used intelligently. Every day will not show a clear-cut reaction to a  period. In the case of fish, barometric fluctuations, particularly when the trend is down, often ruin fishing. All wildlife knows what to expect of the weather, and any bird, animal or fish can sense the approach of a storm. Cold fronts moving through drive fish deeper and render them inactive.

 

Adverse temperature, abnormal water conditions, all sorts of things will offset the effects of  periods. However, every sportsman knows that it is beyond all reason to expect good fishing or hunting every day. The  theory will point the way to the best in sport that each day has to offer, but in no sense is it a guarantee.

 

WATCH THE BAROMETER

Intensity of activity also varies from day to day. If the barometer happens to be steady or rising, if the temperature is favorable (15 degrees higher than water temp) then long and active response  to a  period can be expected.

 

WATCH THE MOON

Another thing to remember in dealing with the periods is that solunar influence will vary in intensity according to the position of the moon. The times of new moon (the dark of the moon), and there is no moon in the sky, is the time of maximum intensity.

 

Ocean tides reflect this intensity in their magnitude. This maximum will last about three days, and wildlife respond with maximum activity. Thereafter the degree of intensity tapers off until it is at its minimum during the third quarter phase of the moon.

 

Salt-water anglers argue that tides have a greater influence on fish feeding habits than the moon itself. It must be understood that the tides are governed by the phases and transit of the moon. Certain marine phenomena occur with precise regularity during the lunar month and solar/lunar cycle.

 

Research has shown that a natural day for fish and many other animal species differ from our own. Their biological clock appears to coincide with lunar time, which is the time that it takes for the moon to reappear at a given point during one complete rotation of the earth (an average of 24 hours and 53 minutes. This is called a Tidal Day and explains why the ocean tides are about an hour later each day - and why most fish, fresh water included, will feed up to an hour later (in relation to our solar clock) each day.

 

CALCULATING THE TIMES

The key to accurate Solunar Times is the ability to chart the relative solar and lunar positions with respect to a particular location. The   major periods coincide with the upper and lower meridian  passage of the resultant gravitational (tidal) force.

 

The minor periods occur when these forces are rising or setting on either horizon, i.e., the right ascension of the resultant force and the local sidereal time vary by 90 or 270 degrees. The major periods occur when these forces are at 0 and 180 degrees apart.

 

AREA COVERED BY THE TIMES

 

The times produced are known as EQUILIBRIUM TIDE TIMES, i.e., the times of low and high tides if the Earth were completely covered by water. Our program calculates the solar and lunar positions with an accuracy of .25 degrees allowing accuracy to be within 1 minute in time. The times will change one minute for each 12 miles east or west of the base point.

 

There is one day each month (near the last quarter of the moon) on which there is no moonrise. This is normal and occurs  because the moon’s average period between two rises and sets is approximately 24 hours and 50 minutes. Thus there will always  be a day on which a moonrise (and a Solunar Time) will not fit. Also a moonrise can occur at any time during the day or night.

 

The quantities required for computing the times are eliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon, the right ascension (RA) of the moon, and the local sidereal time of the observer's position.

 

CONCLUSION

It goes without saying, if there are no fish or game present, you most likely won’t be successful. Plan your days on the water or in the field so that you are where the game is most likely to be during the periods.

 

We hope that we have been able to improve your understanding  of the theory - and how you can use it to improve your angling success in the future. But always remember ... the BEST time to go fishin’ ... is   whenever you can and always practice catch and release. If you still can’t catch fish with the “Solunar Theory”, just get someone to throw one at you.

 

 

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A scatterometer is a microwave radar sensor used to measure the reflection or scattering effect produced while scanning the surface of the earth from an aircraft or a satellite.

 

Description of the SeaWinds Scatterometer and How It Works
The SeaWinds scatterometer is a microwave radar designed specifically to measure ocean near-surface wind speed and direction.

 

The SeaWinds scatterometer consists of three major parts called subsystems. They are the Electronics Subsystem (SES), the Antenna Subsystem (SAS), and the Command and Data Subsystem (CDS).

 

The Electronics Subsystem is the heart of the scatterometer and it contains a transmitter, receiver and digital signal processor. It generates and sends high radio frequency (RF) waves to the antenna. The antenna transmits the signal to the Earth's surface as energy pulses. When the pulses hit the surface of the ocean it causes a scattering affect referred to as backscatter. A rough ocean surface returns a stronger signal because the waves reflect more of the radar energy back toward the scatterometer antenna. A smooth ocean surface returns a weaker signal because less of the energy is reflected. The echo or backscatter is routed by the antenna to the SES through waveguides (rectangular metal pipes that guide RF energy waves from one point to another). The SES then converts the signals into digital form for data processing.

 

The CDS is essentially a computer housing the software that allows the instrument to operate. It provides the link between the command center on the ground, the spacecraft and the scatterometer. It controls the overall operation of the instrument, including the timing of each transmitted pulse and collects all the information necessary to transform the received echoes into wind measurements at a specific location on Earth. To locate the precise position on Earth at which the echo was taken, the CDS collects (for each pulse) the antenna rotational position, spacecraft time, and an estimate of the spacecraft position. The CDS also collects instrument temperature, operating voltages and currents, so that the overall health of the instrument can be monitored. It is through the CDS that the other two subsystems receive the commands that control all of their functions.

 

The SAS consists of a one-meter parabolic reflector antenna mounted to a spin activator assembly, which causes the reflector to rotate at 18 Rpm's (revolutions per minute). The activator assembly provides very accurate spin control and precise position or pointing information to the CDS. Optical encoders, glass disks with small patterns printed on the surface, tell the CDS exactly where the antenna is pointing to about 10/1000 of a degree. The antenna spins at a very precise rate, and emits two beams about 6 degrees apart, each consisting of a continuous stream of pulses. The two beams are necessary to achieve accurate wind direction measurements. The pointing of these beams is precisely calibrated before launch so that the echoes may be accurately located on the ground from space.

 

Why is Scatterometry Important?
Data derived from ocean scatterometers is vital to scientists in the their studies of air-sea interaction and ocean circulation, and their effects on weather patterns and global      

climate. These data are also useful in the study of unusual weather phenomena such as El Niño, the long-term effects of deforestation on our rain forests, and changes in the sea-ice masses around the polar regions. These all play a central role in regulating global climate.

 

Computer modeling of global atmospheric dynamics for the purpose of weather forecasting has become an increasingly important tool to meteorologists. Scatterometer data, with wide swath coverage, have been shown to significantly improve the forecast accuracy of these models. By combining scatterometer data of ocean-surface wind speed and direction with measurements from other scientific instruments, scientists gather information to help us better understand the mechanisms of global climate change and weather patterns.

 

A History of Scatterometry  

In the past, weather data could be acquired over land, but our knowledge of surface winds over oceans came from infrequent, and sometimes inaccurate, reports from ships and buoys.

 

Scatterometery has its origin in early radar used in World War II. Early radar measurements over oceans were corrupted by sea clutter (noise) and it was not known at that time that the clutter was the radar response to the winds over the oceans. Radar response was first related to wind in the late 1960's. The first scatterometer flew as part of the Skylab missions in 1973 and 1974, demonstrating that spaceborne scatterometers were indeed feasible. The Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS) operated from June to October 1978 and proved that accurate wind velocity measurements could be made from space. A single-swath scatterometer flew on the European Space Agency's Remote Sensing Satellite-1 (ERS-1) mission.

 

The NASA Scatterometer (NSCAT) which launched aboard Japan's ADEOS-Midori Satellite in August, 1996, was the first dual-swath, Ku-band scatterometer to fly since Seasat. From September 1996 when the instrument was first turned on, until premature termination of the mission due to satellite power loss in June 1997, NSCAT performed flawlessly and returned a continuous stream of global sea surface wind vector measurements. Unprecedented for coverage, resolution, and accuracy in the determination of ocean wind speed and direction, NSCAT data has already been applied to a wide variety of scientific and operational problems.

 

These applications include such diverse areas as weather forecasting and the estimation of tropical rain forest reduction. Because of the success of the short-lived NSCAT mission, future Ku-band scatterometer instruments are now greatly anticipated by the ocean winds user community. The NSCAT mission proved so successful, that plans for a follow-on mission were accelerated to minimize the gap in the scatterometer wind database. The QuikSCAT mission launched SeaWinds in June 1999.   

   

Winds Over the Ocean

Remote Sensing of Ocean Surface Winds
One of the fundamental problems faced by oceanographers is the sheer size of the oceans. Oceans cover 70 per cent of the Earth's surface. Remote sensing allows measurements to be made of vast areas of ocean repeated at intervals in time.

 

As the largest source of momentum for the ocean surface, winds affect the full range of ocean movement - from individual surface waves to complete current systems. Winds over the ocean modulate air-sea exchanges of heat, moisture, gases, and particulates. This modulation regulates the interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean, which establishes and maintains both global and regional climates.

 

The tropical Pacific Ocean and overlying atmosphere react to, and influence each other. Easterly surface winds along the equator control the amount and temperature of the water that upwells (moves or flows upward) to the surface. This upwelling of cold water determines sea-surface temperature distribution, which affects rainfall distribution. This in turn determines the strength of the easterly winds - a continuous cycle.

 

In the United States alone, hurricanes have been responsible for at least 17,000 deaths since 1900 and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage annually. Worldwide, 1998 was the worst hurricane season in the last 200 years. There were ten hurricanes. One of them, Mitch, killed over 10,000 people in Central America.

 

Applications:

Observing Oceans from Space

As population grows, technological capability increases and international commerce expands. The proper use of resources becomes more important than ever before. Efficient utilization of the sea is particularly vital to human survival. Today, satellite technology can be employed to observe Earth's oceans from space without much of the uncertainty encountered by mariners of times gone by. By measuring global sea-surface wind speed and direction, ocean scatterometer data can help meteorologists more accurately predict the marine phenomena that affect human life on a daily basis. Some examples follow:

 

Weather Forecasting

Data from ocean scatterometers greatly enhances overall weather-forecasting capabilities. Most of the weather over the west coast of the United States, and some over the east coast, is generated over the oceans. The measurements derived from ocean scatterometers are assimilated into numerical models (computer programs that represent natural processes in terms of equations), which can be used to predict global and regional weather patterns. The data are delivered to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within two hours, where they are used for timely, accurate weather forecasting.

 

Storm Detection – The ocean scatterometer data can determine the location, direction, structure and strength of storms at sea. Severe marine storms ­ hurricanes near the Americas, typhoons in Asian waters, and mid-latitude cyclones worldwide are among the most destructive of all natural phenomena. In the United States alone hurricanes have been responsible for at least 17,000 deaths since 1900, and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage annually. If worldwide statistics are considered, the numbers are substantially higher. Although typically not as violent as hurricanes and typhoons, mid-latitude cyclones exact a heavy toll in casualties and material damage.

 

In recent years, our ability to detect and track severe storms has been dramatically enhanced by the advent of weather satellites. Cloud images from space are now routine on weather reports. Data from ocean scatterometers augment these familiar images by providing direct measurements of surface winds to compare with the observed cloud patterns. These wind data help meteorologists to more accurately identify the extent of gale force winds associated with a storm, and provide inputs to numerical models that provide advanced warning of high waves and flooding.

 

Ship Routing – Wind-observation data from ocean scatterometers is of particular significance in ship routing. Prior knowledge of wind behavior will enable ship masters to choose routes that avoid heavy seas, or high headwinds that may slow ships' progress, increase fuel consumption, or possibly cause damage to vessels and loss of life. In the past, ship captains relied on widely spaced measurements from buoys and sporadic, sometimes unreliable reports from other ships. Data from satellite-based scatterometers are much more regular, extensive and dependable.

 

Oil Production – Earth's oceans are increasingly used as a source of fuel. As continental fossil-fuel supplies are depleted, the more challenging task of extracting oil and gas from the seabed becomes a necessity. Oil and gas production is already on-going at numerous offshore sites around the world ­ the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, the Persian Gulf, and other areas. Thorough knowledge of the historical wind and wave conditions at any specific location is crucial to the design of drilling platforms. Safe, efficient drilling operations depend on an accurate understanding of the current sea state and warning of impending storms.

 

In the event of an oil spill, surface-wind information is key to determining how the oil will spread. Ocean scatterometer data could help clean-up and containment crews to minimize the environmental effects of such a disaster.

 

Food Production

Perhaps the oldest use of the ocean is in the harvesting of food. Today, ocean fishing is a highly systematic activity that makes extensive use of advanced technology to reduce the cost and to increase the value of every "catch". Detailed wind data from the scatterometers can aid in the management of commercial seafood crops. The annual U.S. shrimp harvest in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, depends on favorable on-shore winds that transport offshore, plankton larvae to estuaries where the larvae can develop into adult shrimp. NSCAT and SeaWinds data would be invaluable in the prediction of winds on which such endeavors depend.

 

El Niño: A Global Weather Phenomenon

In the context of climate and weather, the name El Niño originally referred to the warm ocean current that appears along the pacific coast of South America each year around Christmas. In Spanish, El Niño means "the boy," a reference to the Christ child, since historically the phenomenon has been observed near Christmas. Recently however, the term has been applied to those years when there is a change in this annual pattern.

 

In an El Niño year, the easterly wind weakens and the equatorial upwelling is suppressed. The thermocline (a zone in the water column that shows a sudden change in temperature with depth) "flattens" and warm surface water surges eastward. The nutrient supply from the cold, deeper water is not tapped. The easterly wind retreats and the westerly wind pushes the convection process to the East of the international date line (a jagged arbitrary line where a date change occurs). This displacement of the convection causes a change in traditional rainfall patterns and the release of large amounts of latent heat into the atmosphere. The subsequent energy propagates within the atmosphere, affecting the weather in various ways and places and disrupting the normal rhythm of life across the Pacific Ocean. The ability to accurately predict El Niño would be of great benefit to countries around the world.

 

NSCAT and SeaWinds, part of a global monitoring system were designed to observe the tropical oceans, predict El Niño and other irregular climatic variations, and make climate predictions readily available for planning purposes. Improving our ability to anticipate how climate and weather will change from one season or year to the next, ocean scatterometers can help us to better manage global agriculture, water reserves, and other resources.

 

 

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When the Sea Glows

Have you ever considered using the glowing, or luminescent organs of certain fishes as bait? Well, the natives of the Banda Islands do. And did you know that during World War II the Japanese mixed dried, ground luminescent animals with water to produce a dim light for reading maps in darkness? These are just two interesting tales of bioluminescence—production of light by plants and animals. The real marvel of light under the sea lies in the plants and animals themselves: how, where, and why the light is produced.

  

Bioluminescence in the sea was once thought to be produced by the friction of salts in seawater or by the element phosphorus and, thus, was called phosphorescence. Today it is realized that certain animals have special light-producing organs called photophores and glands that emit light by a chemical reaction involving a light-producing substance called luciferin, an enzyme called luciferase, salts, oxygen, water, and an energy-carrying substance. In some animals, the photophores actually harbor bacteria that produce the light. Other organisms capable of luminescence, in addition to bacteria and animals in the sea, belong to Protista, a kingdom of organisms placed by scientists between bacteria and true land plants and animals. Certain dinoflagellates and radiolarians, both one-celled protists, are bioluminescent.

   

With the exception of insects and fungi, most luminescent organisms occur in the sea. They range from single-celled dinoflagellates and bacteria to anglerfishes with ornate luminescent lures. In between there are light-producing sponges, jellyfish, ctenophores (comb jellies), sea pens, squid, copepods, shrimp, shrimp-like animals, clams, worms, brittle starfish, and sea squirts.

 

Some luminescent squid, copepods, and fishes have glands that secrete luminous substances or bacteria. When released into the seawater, these substances produce clouds of sparks and are thought to function in distracting predators. The parchment tube worm known scientifically as Chaetocterus produces a luminous slime that possibly serves to attract prey into its tube. This form of bioluminescence is known as extracellular; however, most bioluminescent phenomena are intracellular processes, meaning the animals produce light from within their bodies.

 

Light organs can be simple or complex. Complex photophores often involve a layer of light-producing cells, a reflector, a layer of pigment to prevent the light passing into the body and being wasted, a lens or lenses, and a cornea somewhat like the human eye. In such cases, a beam of light can be focused and controlled by nerve impulses. A blood sinus provides oxygen for the process. Light from photophores has been known to travel up to 30–60 feet.

 

In other types of photophores, luminescent bacteria produce light continuously, and in order to control light emission in a series of flashes, the animals have developed shutters, screens, and rotating photophores that disappear into pouches. Luminescent bacteria are generally not carried over from generation to generation through the host egg; instead, they must occupy the host animal after it has hatched. The light produced is in the visual spectrum. Dinoflagellates, jellyfish, lantern fish, and euphausids, which are shrimp-like animals, produce a blue light, while comb jellies produce a blue-green light. Luminescent flashes of comb jellies and jellyfish are among the brightest so far recorded.

 

Light organs can be concentrated around the eyes, mouth, or inside the body, they can hang above the head, or they can be scattered over the whole animal. Some fishes have a linear row of photophores down their body, which several authors say look like the lighted cabins in a ship.

 

Most luminescent animals produce one or two colors of light, but one deep sea squid produces four colors—white, deep blue, sky blue, and red, and each color is located in a different part of its body. The color is thought to be controlled by color screens in front of the photophores or by differences in the chemical makeup of the luciferin.

 

It is speculated by researchers that this efficient flashing of cold light, with little release of heat, can function as a protective device, a lure for food, recognition signals among males and females, or as a light for vision. In one instance, a visual function is excluded—the majority of luminescent copepods are blind. To illustrate the function of signals, the males of a species of marine worm are attracted to the flashing females during their spawning season; a flirtatious account perhaps, but this ritual is necessary for the survival of the species.   

 

In bacteria, luminescence is continuous. However, in certain one-celled organisms and animals, the light is discontinuous,appearing as flashes that require some triggering mechanism. These flashes can be triggered by touch, motion, light, electrical shock, or chemicals. If a sea pen is touched in one area, it can cause that area to glow and, in turn, may cause a wave of luminescence over the whole animal. The sea squirt with the scientific name Pyrosoma is comprised of closely packed individual animals forming a hollow cylinder, and light from one colony can stimulate another colony to glow. However, both natural and artificial light often inhibits luminescent processes by affecting the nervous system or the light-producing cells in the animal.

 

The intensity and frequency of bioluminescence is greatly reduced in seawater more than 3,000 feet deep, but with improved equipment, flashes from animals have been recorded from depths of 11,250 feet. Bioluminescent flashes in the deep sea must be a startling sight for those researchers and adventurers who frequent such depths in small submarines. But for those of us who walk the beaches or fish at night, bioluminescent dinoflagellate blooms in surface waters still bring a gasp of marvel. The sea aglow, whether at the surface or thousands of feet deep, is indeed an awesome sight.

 

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Is Bigger Better?   

You might think it's grand to be a well endowed fish. After all, some female fish prefer mates with larger sex organs, a new study finds.

 

But the guys' prowess has a price.....

 

The studs with larger gonopodia, which is what scientists call male fish sex organs, can't swim as fast as their less impressive counterparts, so they're more likely to get eaten by predators.

 

Bigger is better

The study was done on mosquitofish, which are like guppies. They're only about an inch long. That's body length. For the appendage, we're talking millimeters. Nonetheless, biologist Brian Langerhans of Washington University in St. Louis managed to put a tape on 350 male mosquitofish. Langerhans took pictures of the gonopodia to measure their outlines. "The organ is quite obvious, even on such small fish," he told LiveScience.

 

With data in hand, Langerhans exposed about 50 females, one at a time, to video images of a male of average proportions at one end of an aquarium and an outsized male at the other end.

 

"They chose the larger one over and over," Langerhans said. "All females had the same preference."

 

Mosquitofish bear their young live, bypassing the whole egg-in-the-gravel hassle. Among such livebearing fish species, gonopodia range from less than 20 percent of a fish's body length to more than 70 percent. Don't ponder that too long, but trust that it fits into an evolutionary puzzle that spawned this study.

 

But first, what exactly is a gonopodium?

"In the sense that gonopodia are sperm-transfer organs, they are analogous to a mammal penis," Langerhans explained. "They evolved independently, but they serve the same copulatory function. The gonopodium must be inserted into the female gonopore, and then eject the sperm into the female body, in order to achieve insemination."

 

Size disadvantage

The study involved mosquitofish from two places, one where there were predators and one without. "A male with a larger gonopodium has a higher chance of mating, but in a predator environment he has a higher probability of dying," Langerhans said.

 

More Fish Tales

When the Sex is Done, Female Fish Stop Paying Attention

So, for the sake of argument, let's say there are no predators around. What does evolution do?

"We found that in predator-free environments gonopodia size was larger, as there is minimal cost for large genitalia in that environment," Langerhans said. For the record, the sex organs of the predator-free guppies were 15 percent longer, on average.

The results are detailed this week in  “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”.

 

Why size matters

There's a larger point to this research. Male genitalia, scientists tell us, come in many shapes and sizes, with more variety than most body parts. These differences are sometimes the best way to distinguish one species from another.

 

For years, experts have figured that this remarkable diversity in genitalia had to do with sperm competition or some other after-the-act effect. The new study shows that female fish, like women, make some decisions beforehand -- conscious or not -- about the physical dimensions of the fathers of their children.

 

"Overwhelmingly that choice is made with size being the prize," Langerhans and his colleague report on the little guppies.

 

So perhaps, the logic goes, differences in male genital shape between populations lead to "reproductive incompatibility," which means two groups would split and become separate species. Langerhans is now looking into this possibility in other creatures.

 

He also plans to investigate whether a preference for large gonopodia caused male swordtail fish to develop their long, showy tails, which serve about as much everyday purpose as large biceps on an insurance salesman.

 

"Male ornamentation of the tail fin may have evolved largely due to the pre-existing preference for an elongate structure of a similar shape -- the gonopodium," Langerhans said.

 

 

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Fluorocarbons by Georg Poveromo

Is fluorocarbon really all it’s cracked up to be ? I’m a firm believer that in certain situations the material can make a big difference in getting fish to strike, while also offering impressive abrasion-resistance. For instance, on a recent trip to the Northeast I hooked a good-sized striped bass that managed to reach the protection of a cement bridge piling on its first run. I harbored little hope of catching that fish, especially since I could feel the leader grinding against the piling. Fortunately, the leader was made of fluorocarbon, which held up to the abuse, and I was eventually able to maneuver the fish into open water and land it. Tough stuff indeed !

 

Compared to most monofilament lines, which are made primarily of extruded nylon, fluorocarbon is manufactured from extruded polyvinylidene fluoride. Although the extrusion process -- whereby the respective line material is pushed through a die to create different diameters and strengths -- is basically the same for both monofilament and fluorocarbon, that's where the similarities end.

Monofilament is popular as a line material because of its low memory and suppleness, which make it easy to cast and handle. Furthermore, mono boasts excellent knot strength and abrasion resistance, and has an inherent stretch that makes it forgiving when subjected to sudden strain. It's also fairly inexpensive. But stretch can also be perceived as a disadvantage of mono, since it may reduce the sensitivity needed to detect subtle strikes, as well as limit the angler's ability to set the hook solidly in certain situations, such as when bottom-fishing in deep water. Mono also absorbs water, and can lose as much as 15 percent of its rated breaking strength when saturated.

Lastly, mono weakens considerably under repeated exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

 

THE FLUORO ADVANTAGE - Fluorocarbon's biggest selling point is its low visibility. This is due to its refractive index -- the degree to which light bends or refracts as it passes through a substance - which can be as low as 1.42. That's nearly identical to the refractive index of water (1.3). The refractive index of nylon monofilament is higher than that of fluorocarbon, coming in at about 1.52.

Fluorocarbon also contains more material than mono, is non-porous, and has a harder finish. It's virtually a solid material that's denser than water. That means it sinks and doesn't absorb water, the latter quality enabling it to maintain its rated breaking strength whether wet or dry. Furthermore, it has a diameter that's comparable to or smaller than monofilament of the same strength, and also has very little stretch. Both features enhance fluorocarbon's sensitivity and hook-setting ability. Lastly, fluorocarbon is very abrasion-resistant and is less susceptible to damage from the sun and chemicals.

 

On the down-side, original fluorocarbon is much stiffer than nylon monofilament and retains a fair amount of memory. That's why fluorocarbon has excelled as a leader material, but hasn't been manageable as a fishing line. Another drawback has been price, since fluorocarbon leader material costs considerably more than monofilament. However, all that is about to change with the arrival of new fluorocarbon fishing line. Banking on the popularity of fluorocarbon leaders, several manufacturers have recently introduced technologically advanced formulations of fluorocarbon that are slightly softer and more flexible than the original material. Although these new fluorocarbon products retain nearly all the advantages of the leader material, they're intended for use as a primary fishing line. They're reasonably priced, and are already becoming quite popular with salt water anglers. Let's take a look at three current brands.

 

SEAGUAR CARBON PRO - "CarbonPro is a 100-percent pure fluorocarbon inside and out," says Bruce Delventhal of G.B.S. Distribution, the North American distributor of Seaguar fluorocarbon leaders and fishing lines. "Through a slight alteration of the molecular structure of fluorocarbon and a more intricate extrusion process, Kureha (the parent company of Seaguar and the inventor of fluorocarbon) was able to take quite a bit of memory out of the line. The process also produced a line that was soft enough to spool up and cast like a traditional monofilament."

Delventhal says the advantages of CarbonPro over mono include lower visibility, enhanced abrasion resistance, no water absorption, consistent breaking strength wet or dry, less stretch, more sensitivity, and increased resistance to UV rays and chemicals. However, he states that because of its softer formulation, the new line isn't quite as durable as fluorocarbon leader material. He also mentions that pure fluorocarbon fishing lines still have memory issues in strengths over 20-pound test. That's why Seaguar and most other companies don't market fluorocarbon line exceeding that strength. "The line performs fine on both spinning and conventional tackle up to the 12-pound-test range," says Delventhal. "Above that it's better on conventional reels. That's a factor of the twisting placed on the line by a spinning reel, and the line's memory. It's also a good idea to fill a reel just shy of its capacity to counter the memory issue."

 

CarbonPro is available from two- to 20-pound test, in 100- and 150~yard filler spools, and 1,000- and 2,000-yard bulk spools. Seaguar's retail pricing for its filler spools runs between $19 and $23.

Berkley Vanish - "Vanish is definitely stiffer than monofilament and softer than fluorocarbon leader material," says Ron Kliegl, Berkley's Line Brand Manager. "It's an easy-casting fluorocarbon line with enough control to fish with. It also has low visibility. We've run tests in which we hung both nylon and Vanish in a fish tank side by side. We couldn't tell the difference by looking at the lines underwater, but in a 24-hour period the fish actually bumped into the Vanish twice as much as the nylon."

 

"Vanish” is 60 percent denser than nylon monofilament. It doesn't float, which helps lures, sinkers and jigs sink faster, and its low stretch makes for better hook-sets and enhanced sensitivity." Kliegl suggests that baitcasting reels may require a brake adjustment to compensate for the extra momentum created by the heavier fluorocarbon line. He also mentions that because the line sinks, it may be a disadvantage when used with light surface lures.

Vanish is available in 250-yard filler spools and 2,000-yard bulk spools from two- to 20-pound test, with suggested retail prices between $10.95 and $12.95 (filler spools) and $66 and $108 (bulk spools). It's also available in 110-yard Pony Spools, which retail for between $4.95 and $5.95.

Stren Fluorocarbon - According to Stren's Linda Powell, Stren Fluorocarbon is a "softened" version of the company's High Impact Fluorocarbon Leader material. "Fluorocarbon is the hottest, most up-to-date, high-tech line on the angling scene," states Powell. "Stren Fluorocarbon is a line that virtually disappears in water. It has a refractive index that closely matches that of water. It's easy-to-handle, doesn't absorb water, and isn't affected by harmful UV rays. It won't suffer the wear and tear of traditional nylon lines." Stren Fluorocarbon comes in six- to 20-pound test, spooled on 250-yard Reel Fill Paks that sell for between $10 and $16.

 

To sum up, the new fluorocarbon lines could be advantageous in demanding situations, such as when fishing in clear water or at other times when fish are wary. Their relatively small diameters and low refractivity should prove beneficial when fishing the flats, drifting baits in a chum slick for yellowtail snapper and tunas, chunking or live-lining for striped bass, and even casting or slow-trolling for king and Spanish mackerel (where they'll compliment the fine wire leaders and diminutive hooks used in these fisheries). And given their high abrasion resistance, the new lines could be the hot ticket for fishing in and around heavy structure for bottom fish, calico bass, striped bass, snook, Pacific yellowtail and other powerful gamesters.

 

Furthermore, their sensitivity and low stretch should help when setting the hook on bottom fish in deep water, jigging, or trying to maintain contact with a lure or bait in a strong current -- situations in which super-braids excel. In fact, some anglers now spool up with a monofilament backing, then add a 100- to 150-yard fluorocarbon header, similar to a super-braid setup. And if you need extra strength, the small diameter of fluorocarbon allows you to upgrade to a heavier line without compromising its low visibility, sensitivity, or capacity. However, be aware that their limited stretch makes them less forgiving than monofilament.

 

Don't expect monofilament fishing lines to fade away anytime soon. However, there are sure to be plenty of times when the new fluorocarbon lines will give you an advantage. They make sense. Give them a try and let us know what you think!

 

HYBRID FISHING LINES

Anglers seeking a happy medium between traditional mono and fluorocarbon will appreciate the new breed of hybrid lines. By combining nylon monofilament and fluorocarbon, some manufacturers have created a low-visibility line that is extremely manageable, highly abrasion-resistant, waterproof, sensitive, and durable. These lines also maintain impressive breaking and knot strength (dry or wet), and have diameters that are comparable to or smaller than most monofilaments of the same strength. Furthermore, they aren't limited to a maximum strength of 20-pound test, as are the pure fluorocarbon fishing lines.

Light-tackle anglers who do a lot of casting are discovering that these lines perform well on both spinning and baitcasting tackle, due to their low memory and suppleness. The hybrids are also showing up on more offshore boats, where they're used by anglers who live-bait and troll for big game.

 

Yo-Zuri has just introduced a premium nylon/fluorocarbon line called Hy-Brid. "What we've done is basically eliminated the water absorption of nylon line by reprocessing it with fluorocarbon," says G.B.S.'s Bruce Delventhal. "Hy-Brid is not simply a fluorocarbon-coated nylon. The two materials are actually chemically intertwined. Because they're bonded, all the materials work together. They won't pull apart, which is characteristic of fluorocarbon-coated nylons."

Aimed at both light-tackle and big-game anglers, Hy-Brid is available from four- to 200-pound test. The smoke-colored line is priced competitively with premium monofilaments, with a 275-yard filler spool of 14-pound test selling for around $11.95. The 1,000-yard bulk spools retail for between $19.95 and $90, depending on strength.

 

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Beat the Heat

What are the health dangers of exposure to warm weather?

After a long cold winter, most of us are anxious to enjoy the warm days of summer. As soon as the sun comes out we are outside working in the garden, enjoying a game of golf, or just taking a nice long walk. Besides planning ahead for the wonderful warm weather activities, people also need to plan ahead to prevent serious problems caused by the heat.

  

When the weather's hot, your body works overtime trying to keep cool. Excess heat escapes through sweating, exhalation of warmed air, and increased blood flow to the skin. But hot weather can overwhelm those mechanisms, leading to a wide array of uncomfortable symptoms. If nothing is done to remedy these symptoms, serious harm even life-threatening problems can occur.

 

What are the symptoms of heat-related ailments?

The following are the three most dangerous types of heat-related ailments listed in order of severity. These conditions can occur in stages:

 

Heat syncope---fainting caused when the body compensates for too much heat by diverting blood from the brain to the skin.

 

Heat exhaustion---extreme fatigue characterized by muscle aches, nausea, and fever. Additional symptom include clammy skin, diarrhea, rapid pulse, vomiting, and weakness.

 

Heat stroke---failure of the body's temperature control systems. Heat stroke can be fatal depending upon severity and treatment. Symptoms include confusion, agitation, hyperventilation, racing pulse, lethargy, convulsions, and eventually loss of consciousness. The body temperature rises to extremely high levels, sometimes above 110 degrees Fahrenheit, which can damage major organs.

   

If you are aware of the danger signs of heat-related illnesses, life threatening situations can be avoided. You also need to keep in mind that symptoms can develop over several days or strike during a single burst of strenuous activity. Two conditions, which signal that your body is under extreme stress from heat, are heat edema, and prickly heat.

  

Heat edema is swelling of the hands and feet when blood vessels expand and allow fluid to pool under the skin. People notice this first when their shoes feel too tight or one their rings won't fit the finger that they used to wear it on. Prickly heat is an irritating rash that is caused by a blockage of the sweat pores, usually under clothing. This often happens when people overdress for the weather or wear clothing that is very fitted and doesn't "breathe". Neither of these conditions are harmful, but you need to view them as warning signs that you should cool off to avoid a more serious condition. You can remove or loosen heavy and restrictive clothing, move out of the sun if possible, and drink fluids immediately.

 

Drink plenty of water, before, during, and after exercise. Drink more than you need to satisfy your thirst. Also, remember drinks such as soda and coffee have caffeine and can actually rob your body of fluids so drink these sparingly.

 

Avoid alcohol before, during, and immediately after you exercise. Alcohol causes you to lose more fluid than you consume.

 

Talk with your doctor about any medications you are taking, prescription and over-the-counter,  and how they may interfere with you body's ability to regulate temperature. Some of these include gastrointestinal drugs containing atropine (Donnatal); antidepressants or antipsychotics (Thorazine, Haldol, Prozac); antihistamines (Benadryl); certain cardiovascular medications including betablockers (Blocadren) and diuretics (Diuril); and Parkinson's disease medications. If you use any of these medications, be especially careful to limit your exertion and drink plenty of water during hot, humid weather.

 

When should I call a doctor?

Seek immediate medical help if you or someone else develops any of the following symptoms during hot weather:

Confusion, lethargy

Agitation

Intense muscle aches, feverishness, or nausea.

Convulsions or loss of consciousness

While you are waiting for help to arrive you can provide support for a heat stroke victim:

Take the person out of the heat

Fan with a newspaper or towel

Sprinkle with water

Elevate the feet to direct blood back toward the head

If the person is conscious, offer plenty of fluids

 

What can I do to prevent heat stroke and related conditions?

Of course, preventing heat stroke and related conditions is always the best advice. Remember these tips and you will be able to enjoy the warm summer or at least tolerate it without life threatening problems.

 

Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing

Limit vigorous activity during hot, humid weather

 

If you have to exercise in the heat, start with brief workouts and increase them gradually over two weeks or more. Try to schedule your vigorous exercise during cooler morning or evening hours.

 

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Choosing fish hooks

The average mouth size of the species you are targeting gives you the

upper hook size limit. Then balance that with the size of your bait. The hook

type depends on the bait you are using as does the hook gap and the hook

point and hook barb relate to the setting of the hook on capture.

 

There are then other properties available to consider which provide

increased hook performance:
 

HOOK TYPES can be divided into three main categories :

Fresh bait hooks, artificial bait hooks and manufactured hooks.

The first two are fairly straight forward so it depends on what bait you are using as to which one of these you would select. The last category are those which are used by manufacturers when assembling artificial flies, lures and rigs before they are then sold to the public ready for use. It is possible to buy these hooks if you wish to make your own artificial lures.

 

The fresh bait hook category can be broken down further into three main styles :
- O'Shaughnessy and Straight shank hooks for cut bait (o'shaughnessy also tend to be seen as stronger hooks for stronger species)
- Aberdeen style hooks for worms
- Circle and wide gape hooks for bulky baits such as crab

Fresh bait hooks sometimes have barbs on the shank (called bait-holder hooks) so as to help keep the bait from falling off especially whilst casting.

 

The artificial bait category of hooks are used for plastic worms and other soft plastic baits. Some of these hooks also have shank barbs for keeping the plastic bait from slipping off.

 

HOOK POINT The next thing to consider when selecting a hook is the point. The sharper the better not only for ensuring good penetration to catch the fish securely but also in minimizing the damage caused to the fish as it is hooked.

 

Chemically sharpened points are the sharpest hooks on the market. However, this means that they are usually the most expensive and once blunted it is very difficult to sharpen them again to the same standard. To achieve the same performance once this has happened often requires discarding them and buying new hooks. The alternative is mechanically sharpened hooks with either spear points or tapered points. They are usually cheaper than the chemically sharpened hooks but have a longer life as they can normally be re-sharpened back to their original state using a fisherman's sharpening stone. Your choice of hook therefore depends on the money you are prepared to spend in achieving your perfect point.
 

HOOK GAP Then there is the hook gap which is the distance between the point of the hook and the shank.

 

Wide gape hooks have been designed for rigging bulky baits such as crab baits.   

HOOK BARB Your choice of barbed or barbless hooks depends on your fishing policy. If you are operating a catch and release system then barbless would be best as it inflicts the least damage on removal. (SOB)

 

Using a barbless hook does not necessarily mean that the fish will keep throwing the hook as they still set well in the mouth and whilst the fish is constantly opposing the capture (as they tend to do!) they are keeping it in place rather than shaking it free.

 

HOOK SIZE Selecting the correct hook size is vital to you catching your intended target. If the hook is too big for their mouths they won't and can't take it and if it is too small the fish may either miss it and therefore get away with your bait or actually swallow the hook whole thus causing a lot of damage internally, important when you are operating a catch and release system.

 

Hooks are numbered from 32 up to 1. I say up to 1 as 32 is the smallest size and 1 is the largest. Should you then wish to use a hook which is bigger than size 1 (usually the case for sea fishing), you need to look for hooks numbered from 1/O, 2/O, 3/O and so on upwards where 1/O is the smallest of this range. The O stands for Ocean.
 

HOOK PROPERTIES Finally, as hooks are constantly being developed and improved by the manufacturers there are now quite a few additional hook properties available for your consideration for either increased performance and strength or just for personal preference.

 

For strength - choose the bronzed and forged varieties or those manufactured from high carbon steel which are all designed for greater strength when hunting really big fish.
For corrosion & saltwater resistance - choose nickel plated, duratin coated or good quality stainless steel hooks

For better penetration - Teflon coating gives a very smooth, fine surface so as to reduce resistance for excellent penetration when setting the hook

For reduced light reflection - a black finish stops light reflecting off the surface of the hook and therefore aids in hiding the hook from wary fish

 

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Sharing the Water with Sharks

It is extremely unlikely for a person to be bitten or attacked by a shark in Florida waters, and attacks are rarely life threatening. However, if you are thinking of going swimming on an ocean beach, and if you are concerned about sharks, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce your chances of being bitten:

 

Always stay in groups since sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual.

 

Do not wander too far from shore—this isolates an individual and places him or her far away from assistance.

 

Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage.

 

Do not enter the water if bleeding from an open wound or if menstruating—a shark's ability to smell blood is acute.

 

Wearing shiny jewelry is discouraged. When light reflects off shiny jewelry, it resembles the sheen of fish scales.

 

Avoid waters with known discharges or sewage and waters used for any type of fishing—especially if there are signs of baitfishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds, which frequently feed on baitfishes, are good indicators of such activity.

 

While there are myths and anecdotes about dolphins saving humans from shark attacks, sighting dolphins does not indicate the absence of sharks—both often eat the same foods.

 

Use extra caution when waters are murky.

 

Remember that sharks see contrast particularly well. Uneven tans and bright colored clothing may draw a shark’s attention.

 

Refrain from excess splashing, as this may draw a shark's attention.

 

Do not allow pets in the water: their erratic movements can cause sharks to mistake them for baitfish.

 

Be careful when occupying the area between sandbars or near steep drop-offs—these are favorite hangouts for sharks.

 

Swim only in areas tended by lifeguards.

 

Do not enter the water if sharks are known to be present, and get out of the water if sharks are sighted.

 

Never harass a shark!

 

How, When, & Where

 

Worldwide there are probably 70-100 shark attacks annually resulting in about 5-15 deaths. We say "probably" because not all shark attacks are reported; our information from Third World countries is especially poor, and in other areas efforts are sometimes made to keep attack quiet for fear of bad publicity.   

  

Historically the death rate was much higher than today, but the advent of readily available emergency services and improved medical treatment has greatly reduced the chances of mortality. Actual numbers of shark attacks certainly are going up each decade because of increasing numbers of bathers in the water, but there is no indication that there is any change in the per capita rate of attack.

Most attacks occur in nearshore waters, typically inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide. Areas with steep dropoffs are also likely attack sites. Sharks congregate there because their natural food items also congregate in these areas.

There are three major kinds of unprovoked shark attacks. By far the most common are "hit and run" attacks. These typically occur in the surf zone with swimmers and surfers the normal targets. The victim seldom sees its attacker and the shark does not return after inflicting a single bite or slash wound. In most instances, these probably are cases of mistaken identity that occur under conditions of poor water visibility and a harsh physical environment (breaking surf and strong wash/current conditions). A feeding shark in this habitat must make quick decisions and rapid movements to capture its traditional food items. When these difficult physical conditions are considered in conjunction with provocative human appearance and activities associated with aquatic recreation (splashing, shiny jewelry, contrasting colored swimsuits, contrasting tanning, especially involving the soles of the feet), it is not surprising that sharks might occasionally misinterpret a human for its normal prey. We suspect that, upon biting, the shark quickly realizes that the human is a foreign object, or that it is too large, and immediately releases the victim and does not return. Some of these attacks could also be related to social behaviors unrelated to feeding, such as dominance behaviors seen in many land animals. Injuries to "hit and run" victims are usually confined to relatively small lacerations, often on the leg below the knee, and are seldom life-threatening.

"Bump and bite" attacks and "sneak" attacks, while less common, result in greater injuries and most fatalities. These types of attack usually involve divers or swimmers in somewhat deeper waters, but occur in nearshore shallows in some areas of the world. "Bump and bite" attacks are characterized by the shark initially circling and often bumping the victim prior to the actual attack. "Sneak" attacks differ in having the strike occur without warning. In both cases, unlike the pattern for "hit and run" attacks, repeat attacks are not uncommon and multiple or sustained bites are the norm. Injuries incurred during this type of attack are usually quite severe, frequently resulting in death. We believe these types of attack are the result of feeding or antagonistic behaviors rather than being cases of mistaken identity. Most shark attacks involving sea disasters, e.g. plane and ship accidents, probably involve "bump and bite" and "sneak" attacks.

Almost any large shark, roughly two meters or longer in total length, is a potential threat to humans. Three species, however, have been repetitively implicated as the primary attackers of man: the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). All are cosmopolitan in distribution, reach large sizes, and consume large prey items such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and fishes as normal elements of their diets. These species probably are responsible for a large portion of "bump and bite" and "sneak" attacks. Other species, including the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran), shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrhynchus), oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis), and certain reef sharks (such as the Caribbean reef shark, (Carcharhinus perezi) have been implicated in these style of attacks. We know less about the offending parties in "hit and run" cases since the shark is seldom observed, but it is safe to assume that a large suite of species might be involved. Evidence from Florida, which has 20-30 of these type attacks per year, suggests that the blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) [possibly spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna) and blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus)] sharks are the major culprits in this region.

 

Every year, millions of tourists and residents visit Florida’s beaches and waterways, and these beaches and waterways will more than likely contain sharks.  

 

According to experts, while there are no guaranteed ways to avoid shark attacks, understanding shark behavior could help you make better decisions on when and where to swim.

 

"It’s very important for people who visit Florida waters to be aware of their surroundings, understand the relative risks, and be educated on various shark issues such as behavior, biology and fisheries," says Brent Winner, scientist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI).

 

In the over 400 million years that sharks and their ancestors have roamed Florida waters, their role in their environment has changed very little. As the top predator in most marine ecosystems, sharks continue to help maintain balance within each ecosystem they inhabit.

 

Florida’s diverse shark population includes species that range in size from only a few feet to more than 40 feet in total length. Most of these species feed on fishes or marine invertebrates. Some even feed on plankton, but none see humans as a food source. Experts believe that most shark attacks are cases of mistaken identity, which explains why nearly all shark attacks that occur in Florida waters are of a bite-and-release nature. The percentage of fatal shark attacks has dramatically decreased worldwide: in Florida, shark attacks are fatal only 1% of the time, 10 times less than the current worldwide average.

 

Many shark species are common in Florida’s near-shore waters and bays. More than 13 species of shark use these areas as nursery grounds for their pups. Scientific data show that many shark species migrate in and out of Florida’s waters each year. These migrations are often linked to temperature and the presence of prey such as mullet, sardines, menhaden, and other species of baitfish. Migrating sharks will either move in an inshore-offshore manner or along latitudinal gradients (e.g., north-south).

 

In Florida, sharks typically move inshore and north in the spring and summer, and offshore and south in fall and winter months. This pattern explains why shark activity is at its peak in Florida waters during April through October, which coincidentally, is also the time period that humans are more likely to be in the water. Yet shark attacks still remain very rare. Humans are 30 times more likely to be struck by lightning in Florida than to be bitten by a shark. Experts agree that the increase in the number of shark attacks in recent years is more related to an increase in human visitors than to an increase in shark populations or activity.

 

Humans are much more of a danger to sharks than vice versa. On average worldwide, fewer than 10 people die from shark attacks each year; however, the world’s fisheries kill an estimated 100 million sharks annually. The general biology and life history of most shark species make them extremely vulnerable to overfishing, which is why federal and state regulations protect these valuable resources. Some data show that shark populations are at 20%–30% of the level they were just 25 years ago.

 

To ensure our own safety and the continued existence of these fascinating fishes, people need to become more aware of sharks and more educated about sharks and related issues.

 

Shark Attacks in Perspective

 

Say the word "shark" and the first image most people conjure up is a Jaws-inspired white shark devouring unsuspecting bathers while well-meaning authorities and scientists helplessly stand by. Shark attack is probably the most feared natural danger to man, surpassing even hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes in the minds of most beach users and sailors. Among the earth's large animals implicated in the attack and consumption of humans, only sharks have not been "controlled" by man. Even the fiercest of terrestrial predators, the large cats and bears, are extremely susceptible to a rifle and "problem" animals simply have been eliminated, leaving many of these species endangered. Some crocodilians, especially the Nile and saltwater crocodiles, are certainly as dangerous as sharks, but these reptiles have never captured as much "press" in part because their populations are largely limited to Third World countries and they, too, are vulnerable to human hunting pressure. The sea's only other creatures with the capability of consuming a human, killer and sperm whales, are not normally considered threats to man. Sharks, on the other hand, have been documented attackers (and sometime consumers) of humans around the world throughout recorded history and have remained relatively immune from human intervention.

 

Shark attack did not become a subject of particular public interest until the twentieth century. Several factors have contributed to the upswing in public awareness of shark attack during the last sixty years. First and foremost has been the evolution of the press from a parochial to a cosmopolitan news-gathering system that covers a larger portion of the world in a more rapid and comprehensive manner.    

 

Increased competition and a shift of journalistic values in certain quarters additionally has contributed to more active searches for "shock" stories, i.e. those that titillate the public and promote sales. Needless to say, an examination of current weekly tabloids confirms that "shark eats man" is a best-selling story line. World War II, with a plethora of air and sea disasters never before encountered during previous confrontations or in peacetime, regrettably spawned large numbers of shark attacks and spurred research to find an effective shark repellent. The general worldwide trend towards more intense utilization of marine waters for recreational activities during this time period has also increased the chances of shark-human interactions with a resulting increase in the total number of attacks. Add in fictionalized shark accounts in the popular press and movies and it's easy to see why shark attack is a hot topic.

 

Shark attack is a potential danger that must be acknowledged by anyone that frequents marine waters, but it should be kept in perspective. Bees, wasps and snakes are responsible for far more fatalities each year. In the United States the annual risk of death from lightning is 30 times greater than that from shark attack. For most people, any shark-human interaction is likely to occur while swimming or surfing in nearshore waters. From a statistical standpoint the chances of dying in this area are markedly higher from many other causes (such as drowning and cardiac arrest) than from shark attack. Many more people are injured and killed on land while driving to and from the beach than by sharks in the water. Shark attack trauma is also less common than such beach-related injuries as spinal damage, dehydration, jellyfish and stingray stings and sunburn. Indeed, many more sutures are expended on sea shell lacerations of the feet than on shark bites!

Nevertheless, shark attack is a hazard that must be considered by anyone entering the marine domain. As in any recreational activity, a participant must acknowledge that certain risks are part of the sport: jogging offers shin splints, camping brings ticks and mosquitoes, tennis may result in sprained ankles, and so on.

 

Beach recreation has its inherent risks as well, and shark attack is simply one of many that must be considered before entering the water. Most people agree, however, that the extremely slim chance of even encountering a shark - much less being bitten - does not weigh heavy in their decision-making.

 

 

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Nautical Superstitions

Edmund Burke, the 18th-century British political writer, said, “Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.” In speaking of a ghost and how to get rid of him, Shakespeare’s most melancholy Dane cogitated, “All is not well; I doubt some foul play.” On the other hand, a crusty captain I once fished with dismissed the subject with, “Horse hockey!” Truth is, poets, scientists, scholars, and others have debated the roots of superstition throughout the ages, and of these people, none seems more under its spell than those who go down to the sea in ships.

 

While you may ascribe to some Neptunian superstitions, I have chosen to arm myself with a salty interpretation of Newton’s Third Law of Physics, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,” to dispel Old Gooseberry, Mr. Scratch, or the Devil, as he’s customarily known, of coming my way. And in order to share my so far unbroken lucky streak in dealing with these waterborne perturbations, I offer the following solutions.

 

NAME CHANGE

It’s bad luck to change the name of a boat. Well, what if you don’t like the name of the boat you’re buying? If you really can’t stand Tripe Stew, Muck & Mire, Regurgitation, Skid Marx, Master Baiter, Aquaholic, Fin-At-Ik, Breakin’ Wind and others I’ve seen that are way too blue to be printed, you can change it without fear of reprisal, but only in the following manner:

 

First, you must obliterate the old name everywhere you find it. For example, run a piece of sandpaper once across any surface where it is festooned, including the transom, bow, superstructure, tender, ship’s log (logs are often retained by new owners for their maintenance schedules), life ring, life raft, salt and pepper shakers, and so on. Then draw a single line through the name everywhere it appears with a marker.

 

Now write the soon-to-be-exorcised name on a piece of paper, fold the paper, and place it in a small cardboard or wooden box. Burn the box. Scoop up the ashes and throw them into the sea on an outgoing tide. If you live on a lake, do it at night and only during a new moon. River dwellers should send the ashes downstream. You may now change the name everywhere on your vessel without fear of irking any mischievous water sprite. But of course the monogrammed towels will have to go.

 

SAFE WHISTLING

In olden days becalmed sailors whistled, whether at the wheel, while swabbing the decks, or even while chained. Such warbling was believed to bring up the wind. Of course, centuries later, the last thing powerboaters need is a blustery day, so trilling aboard is absolutely verboten. If you happen to forget yourself and by chance do pucker up and blow, merely spit overboard in the direction from which the wind is coming, and any errant gust will quickly disappear. There’s a more salty approach that you can take, but again, this is a family publication.

 

EVIL FRIDAY

Then there’s the one about not starting a cruise on a Friday, which supposedly comes from the fact that Christ was crucified on that day. However, my good friend, Father “Fishin’ Magician” O’Reilly— better known around the neighborhood as “O’Really?” due to his penchant for telling exaggerated fish stories—has a remedy for that one. He advises his marinized parishioners to say the proper novenas—especially those to St. Francis and St. Peter—and all will be just fine. “As for the Hebrews,” he said as we shared another wee Bushmills, “well, they can set out any old day they wish.”

 

BANANAS

How can nature’s perfect food be bad luck on a boat? Well it seems back when iron men sailed wooden ships, many a vessel put into tropical locales for re-provisioning, and among the foodstuffs taken on were copious amounts of bananas. In these were all sorts of bugs, spiders, and snakes which, once aboard, often lived just as happily among the victuals, bunks and bodies of the crew, and even called many a captain’s cabin home. Soon fevers and sores spread throughout the ship’s company and eventually to ports of call, including home. When the irate masters finally figured out the source of the scourges, word spread lickety-split that any form of bananas was prohibited aboard ship. To cement the edict, they deemed the fruit bad luck. Today this is all bilge water, so there’s no need to deprive yourself of nature’s perfect food aboard your boat. But if you feel the need to dispel any chance of bad mamma jamma coming your way, simply throw the peel into the water—not to worry, tree-huggers, it’ll get eaten—while balancing on your right foot. Never the left. And make sure you’ve finished the banana before tossing the peel.

 

THE RIGHT FOOT

And speaking of the right foot, getting on and off a boat with your left foot first is a no-no. If you happen to make this pediatric faux pas, merely retrace your steps backwards exactly until you are either dockside or deckside. Take off your shoes, sneakers, flip-flops, or whatever and switch them to the opposite foot. Then step on or off the boat—right foot first—after which you can put your whatevers back on the proper foot. If you’re one of those unshod boaters—go figure anyone with a splinter/hot-deck fetish—perform the same maneuver. Do the reverse shodding thing, and get on or off. Right foot first, please, or you’ll have to do the whole thing over again but this time twice. Once ashore or aboard, feel free to unshod yourself if you must.

 

In the meantime, don’t leave any hatch covers lying upside down on your deck, and if a redheaded person boards your boat, always speak to them before they speak to you. And never, ever mess with an albatross.  

 

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Water vs Coke

This is really an eye opener!

We all know that water is

important but I've never seen

it written down like this before

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely      applies to half world population.)

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy

short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the

risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the

risk of breast cancer by 79%,and one is 50% less
likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking

the amount of water you should every day?
 

Finding the bottled water of your choice-

 

Round up several different brands of bottled water and freeze one of each. After totally frozen, thaw each in the sink and look at the contents. You’ll see....

 

COKE
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
 

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into a toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away  corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle.The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8.  It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would YOU                like a glass of water or coke?

 

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Stuart Submarine Base, Nautical Mile Staff trip to DOA Lures

From advertising inquires, to visitors asking about local attractions, our office gets a lot of phone calls. One memorable ring was this June from David Blackwell at DOA Lures that I’ll never forget because it lead to me fishing the world famous jetties in Stuart. This is a pair of man-made rock piles at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean well known for big Snook, and something that I’ve wanted to do ever since I watch a TV show with Mark Sosin who filmed underwater while fishing.

 

DOA Fishing Lures, founded in 1989,  has an annual Writer’s Festival in Jensen Beach. The founder and owner of DOA Lures does this yearly as a form of thanks for promotion and support throughout the year. Except for me, this was quite an “A-List” invitational. I enjoyed the company of famous writers like Bob Stearns and Vic Dunaway, just to name a couple. 62 writers from all over the country were invited and DOA hired 22 local fishing guides to get us all out on the water for 2 days of local fishing.

 

The resort we stayed at was “River Palm Cottages” in Jensen Beach. This resort has cottages in a “U” shape with a pool in the middle and was right on the Indian River. We had our own private beach, pier, bar, pool....  you name it! When I checked-in and got my room key, there was a canvas shoulder bag (everyone got one) with “DOA” printed on it laying on my bed. This bag had dozens of lures that DOA makes plus some new unreleased prototype products. The bags also included other various items such as a bottle of SmartShield  Sunblock,  several popular fishing publications, 3-4 hats, an embroidered event shirt, etc. My favorite bag item was a mini flashlight made by Streamlight that was thinner than a pencil and less than an inch long, yet can light up a whole room for more than 10 hours.

 

Day 1 was a meet-n-greet day that ended with a Captain’s meeting and dinner on the bay. The next morning at 5, we met on the dock to pick up our catered lunches and board the boats for a day of fishing. I was with Captain Duber (Doober) Winters and fishing with us was Bob Stearns, “Editor at Large” for Saltwater Sportsman. Capt. Duber is a full time guide and runs a 22’ Pathfinder in the Stuart area. He asked what we wanted to do and my answer was to catch one Snook at the Jetties, and the rest of the day was up to him and Mr. Stearns.

 

As the sun made its way up, we headed 6 miles south down the Indian River to the famous Stuart Jetty. There are actually 2 jetties, one north and one south, about 100 yards apart. Capt. Duber idled the boat to get us within about 100’ of the south jetty (a 100’ long rock pile) and turned on the trolling motor to work the edges. As we eased up to the jetty, I asked Capt. Duber if there was a Navy Base nearby because I just saw a few Los Angles Class Nuclear Submarines go by. He wasn’t quite sure what I meant, but soon answered that they were not subs, they were Snook!

 

I was casting a DOA plastic jerk bait, pearl with a firetail, my “go-to” bait. My third cast stuck on a rock, or at least I thought. That rock was very unique, unlike any rock I ever got stuck on. It smoked 15-20 yards of 10# braided line off of my reel before I even realized that it was a fish. This fish spit the hook, but soon after that, I was hooked up again. This time I could hear dogs barking on the beach from the high-pitch sound coming from my reel. I stood helplessly on deck next to the engine, heavily worried about my drag washers burning up when Bob tapped me on the shoulder and said “It’s a bit like standing on a tall building with a 10# rod, tying your line to a safe and kicking it off”.

 

Boy was he right, but the fish had no trees to tangle in like we do around here, so it’s mostly a matter of gaining on the fish before his jaw grinds through the leader. On its first turn, I muscled it towards me, got him facing us and coming in fast. A couple more minutes of fight and Capt. Duber had a grip on his jaw. Hearing Duber say “I’ve got him” was perfect! There I was, fishing the Stuart jetty with a Snook pushing 20 pounds beside the boat waiting for us to take her picture.         

 

It was a nice catch but considered an average fish for that area. She was under 20 pounds, but it was a personal thrill to catch it there at the jetty, and especially on 10# tackle. Catching Snook over 30 pounds in the Stuart area is not an everyday occurrence, but it happens often. They also have 4 different species in their waters, the “Common Snook” is the most caught and the largest. The “Fat Snook” seldom reaches 24” long and has a squared body with much smaller scales. The “Tarpon Snook” also has a squared body but larger scales and a mouth turned up like a Tarpon. The “Swordspine Snook” is rare and the smallest species. According to FWC, the current Florida Record for a Common Snook as of 2007 is  44 pounds and was caught in Ft. Myers by Robert D. Cosmo in April, 1984.  

 

Except for the local hospitals, the city of Stuart maintains a 4-story height restriction on construction, they’re well known nationally as a Sailfish Capitol (one was caught while I was there in June 4 miles from shore) and Redfish are rarely caught in that part of Florida. There are very few tournaments, yet the locals often have friendly competitions to see who can catch all 4 species of snook in one day. The area is also known statewide for having monster Trout. One of the guides I had dinner with caught a 12 pound Seatrout a few days prior.

 

We left the jetty and spent the rest of the day fishing and sightseeing. Capt. Duber showed me the home of the Miami Dolphins owner, (which I at first thought was a plane hangar with nice windows) and we did catch a few more nice Snook that day. We returned to River Palm around 2, swam in the pool and everyone  told tales of their day under the tiki hut on our beach. (east coast guys lie about fish as much as we do) Our July deadline for the Nautical Mile was creeping up on me, so I headed back to Bokeelia while the others enjoyed another day on the water in beautiful Stuart Florida. This was the second time I had the privilege of meeting Capt. Mark Nichols, founder of DOA Lures. About a month prior I attended their annual Kayak Fishing Tournament to meet the staff and take pictures. The first time I met Capt. Mark, he was barefoot doing a public speech..... I knew we’d get along just fine.

 

About a week after the Writer’s Festival, I contacted DOA and invited myself to fish with Capt. Mark. He mumbled something about twisting his arm and we agreed on going the next morning. I left Bokeelia at 3am and we hit the water in Stuart at sunrise. It was 1 day after the June moon so we didn’t have any great expectations as far as fishing, but I mostly wanted to spend some time with Capt. Nichols on the water and learn about Stuart and the history of his company. His character reminds me a lot of the late Dean-O Hicks, a man well respected and involved in his marine community.         

 

We launched Mark’s classic  1981  17’ Dolphin at one of the many public facilities and started our day. With only 200’ to open water, we both complained about how most people that were not already at work got to sit in traffic as we fished on a weekday morning. Capt. Mark asked if I had any questions about DOA products. I did have one, it was about a particular lure he makes called a “TerrorEyz”.

 

I had tried this jig-type plastic lure several times without success and I wanted him to show me how it was designed to work. He idled to a channel marker to see what the tide was doing, then looked over at me with an inviting look in his eyes, smiled and said “You’re in luck”. Mark tied a small rootbeer colored TerrorEyz on my rod and we proceeded to the Roosevelt Bridge. (The Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart is to Snook what Bert’s Bar is to our charter captains)

 

Traditionally, lures that are known fish catchers usually have a certain technique that makes them the most productive, the DOA TerrorEyz is no different. The one I was using was fairly small. I was really hoping to catch something bigger, but who was I to question the founder of DOA? After checking the current again, Capt. Mark pointed at a spot near the Roosevelt Bridge, instructed me to cast and let my lure drop to the bottom (about 25’) give it 2 hard twitches, let it fall for 2 seconds and repeat that till the lure works its way back to the boat. After the first twitch, my rod doubled over and there I was stuck on another rock that ripped 20 yards of line out within 2-3 seconds. Mark laughed and said that it must have been a catfish, “They get pretty big around here”. That comment really  freaked me out because I caught a giant SailCat on my second cast. Mark then pointed towards another area under the bridge for me to cast at. I twitched my TerrorEyz as I was told, and there I was with 10# test line tied to another safe falling from a tall building. Capt. Mark, with hundreds of big Snook under his belt, knew exactly how to maneuver the boat so the fish would run out into deep water instead of cutting me off under the bridge (with age comes wisdom).  A few minutes later, there I was with another trophy Snook from the waters of Stuart Florida. Capt. Mark posed for a quick picture and back under the bridge he went. (I’d tell you how we knew that it was male, but it would probably embarrass Mark).  

 

Like all DOA products, the TerrorEyz was designed to be fished a specific way, and when fished properly it can catch most local species of fish. We even caught Sheepshead on it that day. Each lure at DOA is repeatedly tested and a proven before it goes into production. The TerrorEyz is for deeper water with strong currents, and has also been recently tested under our Sanibel Causeway with great success.

 

I learned how to use several old and new DOA products, got another good picture and the rest of the day was spent touring the inlets and talking about local history and the fishing community. We did spot some Tarpon that just moved in, and I witnessed a 30+ pound Jack Cravelle corner and eat a full-size mullet. We eventually got chased in by a storm, but it was a productive and memorable trip.

 

The fishing guides I talked with knew Pine Island Sound better than me, they come here on days off for a different fishing environment. If you’re interested in fishing a different area, contact Capt. Duber (Doober) and book yourself a trip in Stuart.    (772) 631-1023  

www.greenwatercharters.com

 

River Palm can be contacted at:

www.riverpalmcottages.com   (800) 305-0511

 

A special thanks to Capt. Mark Nichols, River Palm Cottages and the staff at DOA for their hospitality and a June to remember.  

www.doalures.com

 

 

 

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Nautical Mile Publications

Nautical Mile Publications