Capt. George Tunison

Don’t forget to bring the kids to the Cape Coral Yacht Club on Saturday for the 32nd Kiwanis Fishing Derby. All children from 5 -15 are invited to participate from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Show up earlier to register. The event is limited to the first 300 children and everything is free, just sign in at the pier. Fishing equipment and bait are provided and trophies are awarded for the biggest and smallest fish landed, along with a bicycle give-away and other prizes.

Reading some past articles I found that Cape resident and longtime event organizer Wally Laumeyer started this project in 1989 and along with several others, has kept it growing each year. Mr. L tells me that after almost 32 annual events and at near 90 years old, he wants to retire, and pass the torch.

Thank you to Mr. Laumeyer and all the other wonderful Kiwanis members and volunteers that have helped sponsor this fine event for children.

In many parts of the country the sale of fishing and hunting licenses decreases yearly, our youth now living in an Internet non-reality, heads down, eyes glued to cell phones, oblivious to all around them. Save a kid today! Take them fishing!

The heat and humidity is just getting cranked up here in Southwest Florida so be sure to take the necessary steps to protect yourself. If you’ve recently relocated here from a colder climate to our hot piece of paradise, take it slowly. The good news is that after, say 15 maybe 20 years, you might just start to get used to it, or maybe just complain less.

Over the years I’ve had more than a handful of half day trips that only lasted an hour or so before the angler(s) asked to be taken back to the dock. That typically occurs on a dead still, sweltering hot, July morning when the sweat soaked, red faced angler is trying to fish while fighting off multiple attacks from our special brand of bloodthirsty no-see-ums that seem to love the smell of most “repellents” and especially the taste of non-fishing spouses and little children, just along for the ride.

The record for the shortest fishing trip aboard my boat is 34 minutes and was set by a nice couple from Canada. Not long after leaving the dock in the early morning mist we soon arrived at a favorite mangrove shoreline. He fished in the front and the non-fishing, very nice being-a-good-sport wife, and their two happy children, sat at the rear. From the front of the boat it was easy to hear, but hard to see the wife and now terrified screaming and kicking kids because by sun up, they were all engulfed in a thick cloud of biting bugs. Suddenly, the wife stood up and screamed at us — “That’s enough!! Are you two nuts??!! Get us outta here now!!” Her husband looked freighted, which, of course, freighted me even more. I immediately started the Evinrude.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can also deadly here in Florida.

Heat stroke occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body’s temp rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Internal temperatures may rise to 106 or even higher in a very short time.

Warning signs include: Getting a bad headache, dizziness and confusion, loss of appetite and feeling sick, excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin, cramps in the arms, legs and stomach, fast breathing or pulse, a very high temperature over 103 degrees and being very thirsty.

Don’t forget that Fido can easily suffer a heat stroke. Make sure your animal has adequate shade and water while in the boat.

For possible human heat stroke: get the victim into the shade, take off restrictive clothing, apply cold rags, have them lie down and elevate the legs to get blood to the heart and drink fluids.

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