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SEA
HAG MARINA
352-498-3008 |
GPS/LORAN COORDINATES FOR
FISHING HOLES Email me at askcaptain@seahag.com To SEA HAG MARINA main page |
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FISHING REPORTS ARE BACK! We should
be updating weekly now that Scallop Season ins over! (8/29/03) |
Established
Rental Boat Business
at Sea Hag Marina for Sale Please call 386-623-5183 after 6:00pm or 386-755-6277 during the day! |
 The
FORKLIFT will NOT be running on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 27th.
If you would like to use your boat on Thanksgiving Day, please call
ahead to have the boat put in the water and into a wet slip on the 26th.On
Thanksgiving Day, the store will ONLY be open 6:00am to 11:00am if the
weather is good. If the weather is bad, I will be staying home
on the couch and watching football! -Danielle |
 SEA
HAG MARINA WILL BE CLOSEDDecember 24th and 25th for the Christmas/Hanukkah Holidays! If you would like to use your boat on these days, please call ahead to have the boat put in the water and into a wet slip on the 23rd. The store will be closed both days. |
EPIRB & COMMERCIAL LIFE JACKET SPECIAL
SEA HAG MARINA would like to express its deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the four boaters lost out of Keaton Beach, Matthew Hutchinson, Amanda Player, Jeremiah Giffin, and Dominic Barros. In hopes to avoid such future tragedy, Sea Hag Marina is running a special on EPIRBs and Commercial Grade Life Jackets.
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Due to
expense to stock these items with |
Donations
to assist the families can be mailed to:
Keaton Beach Lost Boaters Fund
c/o Regions Bank
P.O. Box 848
Valdosta, GA 31603-0848
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ADULT
COMMERCIAL VEST Type I PFD 150 Denier resin coated polyester covers Belts, straps & bindings of polypropylene webbing Perma-float foam Reflective tape U.S.C.G. approved ADULT #116-8830 List $ 47.25 Sea Hag Price $29.99 CHILD #116-8820 List $ 44.59 Sea Hag Price $27.99 |
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ADULT COMMERCIAL
VEST |
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Package
Price $699.99 Package
includes: |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION email info@seahag.com or call 352-498-3008. Additional Emergency Equipment can be purchased at a discount with approval from Danielle or Charlie Norwood (i.e. Strobe Lights, Flares, etc.)
Steinhatchee Fishing Pictures 11/15/03 (from October too)
 Niles Bryant and crowd October 25, 2003 |
October 18, 2003 |
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October 18, 2003 |
October 19, 2003 |
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Sea Hag Charters 11-19-03 |
Sea Hag Charter 10/4/03 |
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Sea Hag Charters and Neva-Miss Charters 11/1/03 |
October 8, 2003 |
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November 8, 2003 Brad Watson, Walter Hurst, and son, Christopher Hurst |
9/27/03 |
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November 1, 2003 Sea Hag Charters |
Sea Hag Charters 11/1/03 |
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Mariam Bell 11/2/03 |
Mariam and Mike Bell 11/2/03 Maiden Voyage Catch! |
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Kim Morris 11/7/03 |
November 6, 2003 |
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November 6, 2003 Sea Hag Charters |
November 6th |
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Guess the date? You're right! November 6th |
10-24-03 |
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11/8/03 |
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11/12/03 |
Trout Limit by by Noon |
(Press
Refresh Often to be sure to get latest updates)
The
focus this week has been on the 4 Lost Boaters in
Keaton Beach. Here are the details I have:
(
I will do my best to give an accurate update but some details are still
incorrect.)
Here are some news reports... as you can see the names and ages are different
in the articles and although I have met some of the family members, I have
not asked spelling nor ages.
FROM
THE VALDOSTA DAILY TIMES 11/10/03
The wait continues for the families of four friends who left a Florida marina
Saturday for a day of fishing and have not returned. Matthew Hutchinson,
24, and his girlfriend, Amanda Player, 20, both of Valdosta, and Jeremiah
Giffin, 24, Hahira, and Dominic Barros, 37, Dixie, left the Keaton Beach
Marina, Fla., around 11 a.m. in Hutchinson's 20-foot Seacraft boat. As the
third day of the search continues with people combing the land and sea for
signs of the boat and its passengers, the families are still hopeful.
FROM GAINESVILLE SUN 11/10/03
Dan (this should be Matthew) Hutchinson, 24, Jeremy Giffin, 24, Amanda Player,
20, and Dominic Barrows, 38, all of south Georgia, left the Keaton Beach
marina in a 20-foot vessel at about noon Saturday for a day of grouper fishing,
said Petty Officer Robert Suddarth, spokesman for the Coast Guard in St.
Petersburg. The group had planned to go 20 miles offshore and then return
at 6 p.m., Suddarth said. When they didn't return, marina staff notified
the Coast Guard. Rough seas, waves of 6 feet, and winds of 22 mph may have
contributed to the boating troubles, Suddarth said. The Coast Guard has
sent out planes, helicopters and boats in the area, Suddarth said. The planes
have infrared technology and are able to search at night. Authorities plan
to continue the search today. Keaton Beach is in Taylor County about 20
miles north of Steinhatchee.
WCTV 6 TALLAHASSEE 11/11/03
It's been four days and there's still no sign of four missing boaters from
the Valdosta area. The group was last seen leaving Keaton Beach Saturday
morning for a day-long fishing trip. Now, the Coast Guard is widening the
search, looking across the Gulf of Mexico for any clues to their whereabouts.
Four Valdosta families are camping out in Keaton Beach, Florida waiting
for their sons, daughter, and husband to be found. "That's all we want
is for them to come back in, put our arms around them and tell them we love
them," says Dell Player, father. Player says his daughter Amanda and
her boyfriend Matthew Hutchinson were practically attached at the hip. He
say's everyone thought they'd get married, but both have been missing since
last Saturday morning, when they and two friends Jeremiah Giffin and Dominic
Barrows took their 20-foot sea craft 20 miles out to sea. "We think
that they may have been better prepared than some boaters," says Roy
Brown of Fish & Wildlife. Matthew's father Danny agrees. Both have been
on the water during rough seas, and both take every safety precaution. "We
have a system we go through and we even back checked. There's nothing in
the storage shed where safety stuff would have been if he hadn't taken it
with him," says Danny Hutchinson, Matthew's father.Still, the waiting
is dragging on. Nourishment to keep hope alive is first priority at Keaton
Marina. Generous offerings that are needed for this group, who says they're
not going anywhere anytime soon.
MY LATEST KNOWLEDGE - Danielle Norwood, Sea Hag Marina 11/11/03
Today, Tuesday, November 11th, Charlie Norwood of Sea Hag Marina helped
organize a search consisting of all volunteer boaters from the Steinhatchee
and Keaton Beach community and boater from Valdosta, Georgia and family,
friends, and caring folks located in the entire North Florida/South Georgia
area. During the morning of the search it was announced that a cooler was
found 100 miles SW of Keaton Beach. Then somewhere around 2:30pm, the Coast
Guard announced that a local fisherman from Apalachicola had located the
boat 52 miles south west of Keaton Beach. No bodies were found but two life
jackets bobbed on the surface when the boat was overturned and three other
life jackets were found adrift just past the boat.
As of November 14th at 3:00pm, the search for survivers was called off. However the case is still open for investigation.
A
fund for the families has been started to offset search and other related
costs. Please send donations to:
Keaton
Beach Lost Boaters
c/o Regions Bank
PO Box 848
Valdosta, GA 31603-0848
The following is a summary of the volunteer search effort organized by Keaton Beach Marina, Keaton Beach, Florida, and the Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee, Florida.
The following boat captains assisted in the search (many more participants loaded these boats to search as 'eyes' for the search, unfortunately I do not have a list of names for these people):
1.
Mr. Michael Woodruff, Valdosta, GA donated the use of his boat. Captained
by Bailey, R.
2. Crawford, Johnny, Moultrie, GA.
3. Gill, Walt, Valdosta, GA.
4. Connell, Phillip, Lakeland, GA.
5. Dickey, Marvin, Valdosta, GA.
6. Harris, Steve, Melrose, FL.
7. Bradford, Steve, Quitman, GA.
8. Bostic, Jimmy and Wanda, Gainesville, FL (I believe).
9. Willis, Jack and Lockaby, Jack, Steinhatchee, FL.
10. Liberman, Rex, Williston, FL.
11. Eston, Dale.
12. Kimbrell, Dave, Dallas, GA.
13. Sessoms, Bob, GA.
14. Norwood, Charlie, Sea Hag Marina & Charters, Steinhatchee, FL. Also
created search pattern.
Bish
Clark of Clark Oil donated 1000 gallons of fuel for the search.
Clark Oil, P.O. Box 48, Perry, FL 32348 1-850-584-3367.
A bank account has been set up to offset search expenses and for the families. Donates can be mailed to: Keaton Beach Lost Boaters Fund, c/o Regions Bank, PO Box 848, Valdosta, GA 31603-0848.
FOR MORE INFO ON THE LOST BOATERS, I SUGGEST VISITING www.sportsfishingflorida.net Forum Discussion Florida Gulf Saltwater Fishing Forum and look for Keaton Beach.
This
Week's Steinhatchee Fishing Report 11/7/03
Dolphin
Offshore and Can You Say...
TOPWATER
PLUGS for Inshore!
I cannot say enough about the topwater plugs for inshore Spotted Seatrout, Bluefish and Mackerel. Fishermen have been coming back to the dock by noon with their trout limits by using topwater plugs. This is the time of year when top-water lures can be really productive. Cool nights are bringing a chill to the upper layer of water and attracting trout prowling for food. A lure that's a good imitation of something a trout wants to eat will excite a trout feeding close to the surface.
The
hottest lure right now is the Rapala
.
The hottest colors are the Silver Mullet (SMU) and Hot Pink (HP not shown
in picture - it's new and hot!) but the other colors are working well too.
The Skittlewalk is best fished with spinning tackle. Cast the lure over a
pocket, allow to rest a few seconds, twitch, twitch a few more times and reeled
in.
Trout
will usually hit the bait shortly after it falls in the water. Yet the Rapalas
have good action when reeled. They run about 2-feet deep and can entice
a fish to strike at any time of the retrieve. Many folks are "walking
the dog" with these lures. "Walking the dog" with a lure
refers to retrieving the bait with short jerks of the rod tip, causing the
lure to wag back and forth. This snapping, 
twitching
and slow line retrieval combination takes some practice but once mastered
can be deadly when top water action is at its height. When trout are chasing
shad to the surface, this lure should be cast directly on top of the fish,
keeping the boat a good distance from the area of activity. Casting accuracy
is vital, as a badly placed cast will waste precious moments until you can
cast again. When a fish takes a top water offering, WAIT. Let the fish take
the lure, feel the weight of the fish and then set the hook. All to often,
the initial reaction is to strike, but this often pulls the lure out of
the mouth of the fish. When the fish are biting, count s-l-o-w-l-y to three,
then set the hook. The
best times to use this system seem to be early and late in the day when
fish are closer to the surface.
When the sun
is totally clear the 
Ratlin'
Red Fin is working the surface in a magical way. The tiny shiny gold and
silver topwater plugs are really attracting the trout at midday! The hollow
head of the Cotton Cordell Red Fin lure allows it to be twitched and worked
on the surface like no other minnow lure. This is the Classic "V-wake"
fishing lure that calls the big ones to the surface. Fishermen are recommending
that once cast, wait a few seconds, tug the plug under the water and then
allow the lure to float to the surface. Twitch the bait a little then start
the tug and surface float over as you retrieve the lure to the boat. This
bait is hot!
For a heavier
cast, MirrOlure® Top Dog®, Top Dog Jr.® and Top Pup® and
the 7M
are still landing fish. Lures are retrieved with a twitching action called
“walking-the-dog.” Make as long a cast as possible, then retrieve
the lure back to you in a straight line, using short, sharp 
jerks.
This will make the lure dance quickly from side-to-side. Each time you pop
your rod tip, you will hear a sonic click coming from your lure. This fish
calling rattle inside the echo chamber of the Dogs produces explosive strikes.
When worked properly, this bait is deadly on Trout, Redfish, Snook and Stripers.
These are lures of choice by many inshore tournament anglers. Remember to
vary your retrieve until you start getting strikes. Hot Pink and Chartreuse
Blue are working best!
LOOK for ALL THESE LURES ON OUR "WHAT'S HOT" DISPLAY BY THE MAIN REGISTER IN THE STORE!
SEA
HAG CHARTER'S Miss Chaeli LANDS DOLPHIN
on November 6th, 2003
More to come......
I've got to download the pictures and clarify the names..... right after
I order parts and closeout some work orders for today Friday, November 7th.
Check back soon and do not forget to hit the "refresh" button
on the brower menu to be certain to get the latest updates. -Danielle
This
Week's Steinhatchee Fishing Report 9/29/03
October is the
start of the fall fishing run in Steinhatchee, which will run well into
December before it gets too cold for fish to bite. At that time the target
fish will be Sheepshead, that bit all through winter. The fishing has already
been excellent in September, but expect it to improve even more with the
cooler temperatures.
The trout will have move in from the 6 to 8 foot of water onto the flats. Try the grassy areas near Pepperfish Key and north near the Nine Mile Bank and Grassy Key. Almost all trout fishermen this last weekend limited out with nice size trout in the 17"-19" range. Topwater plugs such as Storm's Chug Bug, Mirrolure's Top Dog, Top Dog Jr. and Top Pup, and the hottest one lately Rapala's Skitter Walk will be landing the big gator trout. Live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popping float works well too.
Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish and other sportsfish are tearing up the bait pods around Steinhatchee Reef and the Nine Mile Bank. Look for diving birds and use lures that are shiny silver such as the Clark Spoon (they have a new line with color flashes that work too) and Spanish Mackerel rigs made with silver tinsel tails. Lures that have 'hair' tails work for Blues and Mackerel too. Some of those are Got-Cha lures, Floreo lures, and bucktails.
Offshore Grouper should migrate in from 25 miles to 18 miles during the fall spawning season. Trolling will pick up those moving inshore very nicely. The best lures are the Mann's Stretch 30+ in the colors of Perch, Red Tiger, Fire Tiger, and Redhead along with some of the flashy lures Braid's Jigs and Livin' Jigs trolled with a planer or downrigger. With the move of the Grouper, the Black Seabass will move inshore as well.
When the weather
gets rather cold, the Sheepshead will spawn on Steinhatchee Reef too. Expect
to see them in late November. They love live shrimp and small crabs.
HERE are the PICTURES for August and September:
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 We MISS YOU KAY! |
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The Rescue of a Steinhatchee Sea Turtle
Skip
& Ruth Labrie and Holly and Cariane Culver saw a person waving in the
water. They thought it rather odd that the swimmer had no dive flag so they
decided to approach to see if they could be of assistance. Turns out the
waving arm was an injured fin of a sea turtle. The arm had been so severely
wound with monofilament that it was hanging by just a bit of tissue and
the bone. It caused the animal to swim with such irregularity that it waved
in the air above the surface. These good someritans loaded the small turtle
on to their boat and drove him (Or her) to the Sea Hag Marina where the
Wildlife Commossion was called. The turtle was placed in the shrimp tank!
Besides the broken flipper, the turtle was in great shape so the Wildlife Commissioner transported the little guy in the air conditioning cab of his truck half way to Tampa to another truck which would carry him the rest of the way to the Tampa Aquarium. The doctors there would determine if he would require surgery to fix the fin or whether this guy just might have to live out his remaining years at the aquarium since he would be unable to dive for food. Here are some more pictures:
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We have yet to check on the status of our turtle.
Fishing Reports 4/13/03 thru 7/24/03
Fishing Reports 4/12/03 thru 3/16/03
(worth looking at)
Fishing Reports 3/17/03 thru 2/1/03
(worth looking at)
Fishing Reports 1/31/03 thru 10/31/02
(worth looking at)
Fishing Reports 10/30/02 thru 8/23/02
Fishing Reports 8/22/02 thru 5/16/02
Fishing Reports 5/15/02 thru 4/12/02
Fishing Reports 4/11/02
thru 3/7/02
Fishing Reports 3/7/02 thru 1/19/02
Fishing Reports 6/27/01 thru 1/7/02
Fishing Reports 6/26/01 thru 3/11/01
Fishing Reports 3/11/01 thru 4/2/01
Fishing Reports 2/3/01 to 3/10/01
Fishing Reports 11/00 thru 1/30/01
Fishing Reports 6/1/00 thru 9/25/00
Fishing Reports 5/6/00 thru 5/22/00
Fishing Reports 4/26/00 thru 4/29/00
Fishing Reports 3/27/00
Fishing Reports 3/3/00 thru 3/10/00
Fishing Reports 1/21/00 thru 3/3/00
Fishing Reports 1/10/00 thru 1/1/00
Fishing Reports 12/31/99 thru 9/18/99
Fishing Reports 8/25/99 thru 4/3/99