Exactly 63 reader emails and quite a few calls pointed out an omission or were confused by last week’s spotted seatrout rule change article because “someone” left out an important point. Yes, the new size and harvest limit rules went into effect Feb. 1, 2020, but due to the losses caused by the recent red tide disaster, spotted seatrout still remain catch-and-release only through May 31, 2020. Go to the FWC website for updates, and thank you for the emails.

Typically, when you find one trout you’ve probably found a school and it’s easy to catch quite a few if you’re quiet as trout are noise sensitive. Big trout trophies are bonefish spooky so good boat manners are a must.

To stick with the conservation theme, bend down your barbs on jig heads and treble hooks if you get into a school. You won’t lose extra fish if you keep steady rod pressure and, after all, it’s catch and release.

Two things kill trout, especially delicate juvenile fish; massive tissue damage caused by hook barbs and improper handling. If you must handle a fine scaled trout, always wet your hands first or you will be removing its protective slime layer. Towel or rag wrapping fish destined for a healthy long-term release, especially a trout, is a huge no-no.

Better, simply take your trusty needle-nose pliers, grip the hook and suspend the fish just above the surface and often, simply by turning your wrist over the fish will drop back into the water without handling, especially easy with de-barbed hooks.

By practicing a few safe handling rules and always releasing the biggest trout that carry those trophy genes, no matter the new harvest rules or future ones, is the only way we and future generations of anglers will have a have a shot at catching and releasing a true gator trout.

The responsible angler doing his part is but one important piece of the recovery program. Unfortunately, none of our efforts will mean much if our environment continues to be under a constant chemical threat that wipes out one of the most important keys to a healthy fishery and local economy our sea grasses. Without healthy seagrasses, promoted by clear toxic free waters, the fish move on to greener pastures and the area becomes a dead zone. No place for invertebrates or juvenile fish to hide and grow, and no game fish to prey on them.

Obviously, several factors influence our water quality issues. Pollution from large scale inland sugar, cattle and agriculture production being pumped down our rivers is a major factor as well as poorly maintained residential septic systems. Add the thousands of gallons of pesticides and other lawn products applied daily all across Florida only to be washed into our rivers, bays and oceans with the afternoon rains. Stormwater runoff is a big problem as well. Consider that nearly every parking spot in Cape Coral has a 1 to 2-foot wide oil stain that releases a very small amount of oil into the system with heat and daily summer rains, sometimes for years, times how many thousands of spaces? To be standing at the boat ramp in Matlacha on a busy weekend and see the surface sheen of gas and oil products being pulled out into the pass on an outgoing tide is quite disheartening.

It can be overwhelming when considering all the possible sources of pollution, lots of which is self-inflicted. The biggest water issue Southwest Florida currently faces is the toxic river releases and the absolute need to hold and clean these waters then direct them naturally south through the water starved Everglades for further natural detoxifying, then on to nourish Florida Bay and The Keys.

Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. Contact him at 239-282-9434 or captgeorget3@aol.com.