The crew aboard J2 leaves Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores after checking in and weighing fish caught in the Nov. 9 Dust’em Off Sailfish Warmup tournament. Led by Capt. Charlie Nicklaus, the J2 team released two sailfish.
Willie Howard/The Coastal Star
By Willie Howard
Capt. Nick Carullo of Miami and his team aboard Showtime released eight sailfish in the waters off Boynton Beach to win the Dust’em Off Sailfish Warmup, a multiple-inlet sailfish release tournament that attracted teams from Islamorada to Jupiter.
Fifty teams released a combined 108 sailfish in the Nov. 9 tournament despite a cold front that brought rain, strong winds and heavy seas to the waters off South Florida.
The Showtime crew won $41,750 for its first-place finish, tournament director Capt. Ben Sharpe said.
Capt. Gene Lebron and his team on Three Times L/Fishless finished second, with seven releases, followed by Capt. Evan Hamilton and his team on Pharma-Sea/Zizzz, also with seven (based on time of the releases).
Luke Lacroix of Fort Lauderdale won top angler, with four releases. Darin Chafin won the fun-fish division with a 24.8-pound dolphin caught aboard the Asian Pearl.
Three Times L/Fishless won the charity category, with $3,800 going to the fishing team and $3,800 going to Mahogany Youth, a Miami nonprofit.
Boynton/Delray, Boca hold boat parades
The 48th annual Boynton Beach/Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade is scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13.
Boca Raton will hold its 43rd annual Holiday Boat Parade on Dec. 15.
Boats in the Boynton/Delray parade will line up at 6 p.m. near the Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Boats decorated with holiday lights will proceed south to the C-15 Canal in Delray Beach.
A free watch party with live music is planned at Boynton Harbor Marina. Attendees are each asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.
Other suggested places to watch the parade include Intracoastal Park and Jaycee Park in Boynton Beach as well as Veterans Park and Knowles Park in Delray Beach.
Boat owners and captains can enter the parade for free by downloading an entry form at www.catchboynton.com.
The mandatory captains meeting is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at Banana Boat restaurant at Boynton Harbor Marina. Captains should bring a new, unwrapped toy to the meeting.
For more details, call Mercedes Coppin at 561-600-9097.
Boca Raton’s parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the C-15 canal (Delray/Boca line) and proceed south in the Intracoastal Waterway.
Decorated boats are expected to reach their southern destination at the Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge by 8:30 p.m.
Viewing locations include Spanish River Park, the Wildflower property and the west side of Red Reef Park.
Drawbridges will be held open about 45 minutes to allow the parade of boats to move through.
Bridges are scheduled to close to car traffic beginning at 6:50 p.m. at Spanish River Boulevard; 7:20 p.m. at Palmetto Park Road; and 7:30 p.m. at Camino Real.
Boaters interested in participating in the parade must enter by Dec. 9. A mandatory captains meeting is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd.
More information and a boat entry form can be found at www.myboca.us. Click on “experience Boca” and “special events” to reach the boat parade link or call 561-367-7073.
Students from the Marine Conservation Club at Wellington Landings Middle School toss biodegradable drift cards into the Lake Worth Lagoon from a public dock in downtown West Palm Beach. The cards are part of a citizen science project organized by the Angari Foundation and its partners to study currents in the lagoon. Photo provided by Whitney Jackson
Drift cards released in Lake Worth Lagoon
The Angari Foundation, a West Palm Beach nonprofit that promotes marine science research and education, released “drift cards” into the Lake Worth Lagoon in early November to study water movement.
It was the foundation’s fifth drift card release in the Lake Worth Lagoon, the county’s largest estuary, which stretches 20 miles from Ocean Ridge to North Palm Beach.
The yellow drift cards were released the afternoon of Nov. 2 in six locations in the lagoon, including one near Boynton Inlet.
The cards are made of thin plywood coated with a nontoxic paint, Angari Foundation spokeswoman Rachel Plunkett said.
Anyone who finds one of the cards labeled “Scientific Study — Please Report Discovery” is asked to keep the card and email a photo of it, including the location, date and time it was found, to lagoondrift@angari.org.
For details, visit www.angari.org/lagoondrift.
Coming events
Dec. 7: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 ($5 for youths ages 12-19). Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 561-391-3600. Leave a message.
Jan. 1: A new bag limit for blackfin tuna takes effect. The limit is two blackfins per angler or 10 per boat, whichever is greater, in state and federal waters. Also, grouper season closes and will reopen May 1.
Jan. 8-11: 83rd annual Silver Sailfish Derby, a sailfish release tournament organized by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club and based at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Captains meeting Jan. 8 at the fishing club. Fishing will be Jan. 9-10, followed by awards dinner Jan. 11. Entry fee $1,000 per boat for fishing club members, $1,500 per boat for nonmembers. Must enter by Dec. 20 to avoid $300 late fee. Call 561-832-6780 or visit www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.
Tip of the month
Want to catch stone crabs, best known for their tasty claws? Buy a stone-crab trap that meets state specifications. (Go to www.myfwc.com to find recreational saltwater regulations for stone crabs and traps.) Stone crab season ends May 15. Minimum claw size: 2.75 inches.
Release the crab after removing a claw. Claws should not be taken from egg-bearing crabs.
Crabbers must have a Florida saltwater fishing license, unless exempt, and must complete a free online registration form at www.gooutdoorsflorida.com. A five-trap limit applies to recreational crabbers.
Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.
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