Our World's Greatest Lagoon in Crisis

Gold at the end of the rainbow — the Indian
River Lagoon.

My leap into saltwater fly fishing was defined by both blunder and success. It started some thirty-five years ago along the east shore of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL). If I remember correctly, I used a tin bobbin to apply a coat of red nylon thread to secure three small dabs of white bucktail on the neck of a Mustad Shaughnessy- 3407 hook. My fly rod and reel were as rudimentary as was the design of my fly. The reel had no handle to reel in its line; it only had a thin metal lever used to energize a spring-loaded device to retrieve the fly line. The two-piece yellow fiberglass rod was heavy and cheap, much like my first fly casts and presentation.

Regardless, I knew of many places along the IRL Coast that were special sweet spots for the fish I targeted using my substandard fly rod and poorly hand-tied flies lived. I fished those habitats; the ones rich in lush sea grass beds and those thickly shaded with red, white and black mangrove canopies. These areas were often teeming with crabs, shrimp, mullet, glass minnows, and many of the other forage foods which attracted an abundance of the marine critters I worshipped.

Over time, I caught spotted seatrout, snook, tarpon and red drum, despite my lack of fly fishing grace and skill. The IRL system was a fly fishing paradise back then; I should've never taken those days for granted.

I became a fishing guide a few years later, depending on the Lagoon's vigor and vitally to afford my family their lifestyle. On good days back then, my clients could catch and release over a hundred spotted seatrout before lunch if they wanted to.

Many others discovered the bountiful IRL Coast, and moved here to explore and relish the blessings of its bounty. Developers cleared land and drained wetlands, built homes, and landscaped the yards with non-native plants and grasses that depended on fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and routine watering. During that time, State, county and city officials tailored laws and regulations that made it easy for the developers to change the lay of the land, and in the long run, alter the quality of our water and our lives.

Yes, what has placed the IRL in crisis is an explosion of growth and population within its watershed. The fact is, Florida's economic machine has been fueled by development and real estate and other connected industries for generations, and the chances of this changing anytime soon are near zero.

The results of this reckless development and horrifically poor management and leadership on issues directly connected with storm water and ground water issues has plagued the health of Florida's waterways. Regardless, we all should see the light at the headwaters of the Lagoon, because individually we can make a huge impact on the conservation of the IRL and the other rivers, lakes, springs, creeks and bays of Florida.

For instance, our family has “Floridified” our yard and adopted the “Three R System.” Practicing reusing, reducing and recycling we hope for a brighter IRL future, a future where green sea grass once again covers its bottom.

For more on how you can make the wise choices on how to return health to Florida's waterways check out befloridian.org or contact me, Rodney Smith, at irlcoast@gmail.com. Together we can proactively change Florida's future.

Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Get Wet and Catch More Fish

Here are a couple of things people ask me all the time. “Is getting wet a necessary part of catching big fish,” and “where and when can you find big fish in the summertime?” It may sound like we’re talking about two different things, but if you read on you’ll see how they can sometimes be related.

Because of the intense heat (average high temperature is 90 degrees!) this time of year along the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), fish seek out places to find relief from the heat, and generally, deep water isn’t an option because the IRL’s average depth is only three feet!

As a guide, I’d seek out docks, bridges, piers, and any other shady niches that provide comfort for fish as the days grew hotter. I also learned the importance of being on the water well before the sun rose too high when fishing the flats for red drum, spotted seatrout and snook. Fish would often leave the deeper water early, go into the shallower water to feed, and then head back to brisk water as the sun and water temperatures rose.

Over time, discovering wade fishing with my clients was a cooler option this time of year. They enjoyed getting out of the hot boat and into the refreshing water for a spell, and it is much calmer especially along Florida’s Atlantic beaches. Of course, be careful of stingrays, sharks, crabs or any critters or things that may be hazardous to your body.

Have you ever been overwhelmed trying to land a big fish on undersized tackle?  If so, you understand how difficult and downright challenging it is to do it, especially around any type of structure. There have been times when I found myself chasing fish that were either taking all my line or going under water, over or around structure.

One particular time comes to mind when guiding my friend, Chad Helping. Chad hoped to catch a large black drum. A perfect cast was made, placing his bait, half of a blue crab, on the Indian River Lagoon’s bottom between a cement piling and a couple thick steel cables running into the water. Within seconds, he hooked a large fish, and did his best to keep it out and away from the structure. After a minute or two it looked as if the fish had hopelessly wrapped Chad’s line around the structure. In an effort to save the day, I jumped into the Lagoon with Chad’s rod and reel, and swam under and around the cables until the line came free. From the water, I handed Chad back his tackle, and after an extended battle he landed his trophy — a 54-pound black drum.  

Getting wet may not be the key to your fishing success, but I’ve found it to be the key to cooling off in the heat, and at times, landing oversized fish on undersized tackle. Try it; you may find it enjoyable!

Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Now's the Time

PureOceanTV.com's Valhalla – empowers solar powered
and wind!

According to Matt Krantz reporting for the USA TODAY, "Solar stocks have turned into the brightest spots for investors." Wow, this is great news! Finally, the capitalist are capitalizing on the realization of climate change. There still may be a slim chance left to retain a portion of Earth's biodiversity. 

The most recent U.N. Climate report paints a gloomy picture. The time has come for the capitalist and industrialist to act. According to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change a rapid shift to less-polluting energy sources is needed immediately to avoid catastrophic global warming. Their report states worldwide emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases have accelerated to unprecedented levels, and between 2000 and 2010 these emissions have increased more quickly than any time during the past three decades. The report is startling, and in line with what the U.N. has been reporting for the past two decades. 

If you doubt the urgency directed by this report, read Sustaining Life- How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. This ultra-comprehensive look at the global health of Earth's species and their habitats; and edited by Eric Chivian, M.D., and Aaron Bernstein, M.D. Members of the Center for Health and the Global Environment Harvard Medical School. The book lays out the immensity of the problems we all face brought on by accelerated climate change caused by human activities.

Our sons, James and Jake Smith, aka PureOceanTV.com, have taken serious steps to disengage from the continued madness of burning fossil fuels by organizing and facilitating the Green Horizons project. In an effort to educate and inspire people of the possibilities of detaching from today's mainstream energy grid and excessive materialism, their journey is happening now. Check out their latest blog and keep up with their latest adventures on Facebook. 

Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Still a Fisherman

Being a lifetime fisherman, I consider it a solid insurance policy to carry a spare rod and reel as an emergency backup whenever I’m on a fishing trip. Having a dozen lively jumbo shrimp in the boat's bait well to provoke a strike from an uncooperative cobia or tripletail is always a good idea, too. Sooner or later, these types of insurance usually pay dividends.



Today you can buy insurance coverage for everything from Alien Abduction to Pet Health. A prime example of the extreme infatuation we humans have with sharing our risks is an article from a June 2012 Forbes' called “Thirteen Types of Insurance a Small Business Owner Should Have.” The story  suggests a minimum of thirteen types of insurance for a small business owner to buy, but it's difficult to believe anyone could afford thirteen different kinds of insurance. And if a business does buy this much coverage, doesn't the cost get passed on to the consumer?



A wise man once told me you only buy an insurance policy to save yourself from complete collapse, or as protection from a disaster that could break you permanently. In my opinion, the need for insurance is limited directly to one's risk. You should only buy coverage if you can't maintain your lifestyle without it.



On this note, I'd like to mention a recent experience. After not being able to afford health insurance for the past couple of years (because of a pre-existing condition), it was with great concern that I stopped into Chris and Maggie Robertson's One Insurance Group in Melbourne, Florida, to shop for health care coverage. After checking out the Federal Exchange, I opted to visit their local business hoping they'd share a little more insight with me on the benefits of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act.



What I heard was pleasantly surprising. The Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, aka ObamaCare, was signed into law in March 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court in June of 2012. It is not the nightmarish debacle we've been led to believe it is. From what I can see, our family will now be able to afford health insurance for the first time since I had a pacemaker/defibrillator dropped into my chassis back in 2010.



It's not for all folks, but much needed relief for small business owners like us who paid over $1200/a month for 7 years — until we hit the $100,000 mark — then we stopped. 

Complete collapse is a little less likely now! 





Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

All Over the Place

Amazing!

Nature is awesome. In 1997 Captain Al Anderson of Judith, Rhode Island tagged and released a 14-pound bluefin tuna. Sixteen years later the same tuna, landed by a Nova Scotia fisherman weighed in an extra 1,200-pounds.

During a recent International Gamefish Association Great Marlin Race, a monster black marlin, tagged and released in Australia, traveled 2,500 miles in 69 days before its satellite tag released.

 

History Either Gets Buried or Forgotten

An attorney for the MDM Group, a group of developers dishing out a billion bucks to build up on a downtown Miami archaeological site, says MDM will appeal a decision by a Historical Preservation Board to the Miami City Commission. The Preservation Board voted in-favor to better protect the site.

I say to those who wish to build on this ancient Tequesta village, read Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher -The Epic Life and Immoral;  photographs by Edward Curtis. Educate yourselves.

It is difficult for some of us to understand we do not own the land any more than we own the sun or the sky. In a similar content, the hell with those people trying to correct our past wrongs. Looking back, it is clear the USA government totally destroyed and took full advantage of the Native Americans. From investigating the history it is also clear the native folks were much better Earth stewards than we are today. Called them what you wish: Indians, Native Americans, or native folks, they deserve our respect. A personal favorite Native American place to visit is the Ais Indians Turtle Mound midden on the northeast side of the Mosquito Lagoon in the Canaveral Nation Seashores. 

Heroin Addiction

The media hype around the recent overdose deaths of celebrities has made me ask myself, what percent of people have a clue about dreads of heroin addiction?

It is past time for society to seriously consider legalizing the majority of illegal drugs, and quit spending billions on drug enforcement and containment of drug related criminals.  Let's focus more of our assets on the treatment of addicts, the early education and intervention within our communities. Neither the Just Say No or The War on Drug has been successful programs. Now is the time for a major change in the norm.  

Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Five Choices to help Save Planet's Biodiversity

We must stride to fill our yards with wildflowers that use no chemicals, watering or $$$ wasting maintenance over non-native grasses that must use chemicals, water and $$$ wasting maintenance.

Let get something straight immediately. Humans are a big part of the
Earth's biodiversity. At the same time, us humans are the biggest cause for the historical and exponential decline in the planet's biodiversity we are now experiencing.

Here are five steps one can use in their own yard to help slow down this catastrophic decline in the Earth's biodiversity. These steps have been provided by the executive director of Florida's Marine Resources Council, Dr. Leesa Souto.
 

1. Add biodiversity to your yard — a place for butterflies, birds, and humans to thrive.
    
2. Stop using chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. These components are not only killing the quality of our drinking water, but also the waters of our lagoons, rivers, springs, lakes, bays, etc.
    
3. Plant native trees and wildflowers; and if you follow this step, it will make the first step easier.
4. Remove non-native plants and turf grasses. Not only will this improve the natural health of our yards, but it reduces the costs associated with the maintenance of your property.
5. Cultivate the dirt with worms and compost. How we treat our soil is fundamental to our success in improving our natural relationship with nature.
6. Release ladybugs in your yard. Enjoy you're visitors!

Create an environment in your yard with a healthy balance of native trees, plants and wildflowers, soil, clean water, native birds, insects and animals. All of this will add to a biodiversified future.

Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.

Thanks, Mom!

Mom was a strong woman who would
stand up to any man!

My mother was a tough woman, despite her stunning looks, hourglass figure, fiery red hair and mind- piercing green eyes. As a teenager, she raised a black bear from a cub and opened a turquoise jewelry shop in Cherokee, NC. An entrepreneur at heart, she established and ran Smith's Trading Post in Tampa for nearly forty years with both a steel fist and kid-like energy. Mom was a strong woman who would stand up to any man, but back in the day she paid a high price for this strength.

Once I watched her pick up a rifle to shoot a man. He was threatening to cut down a mammoth cypress tree growing between our lakefront properties (That's a completely different story.) There's no doubt she would have killed him if she thought she needed to save the tree. Not surprisingly, it was Mom who taught me the importance facets of nature and conservation.

The same year, 1963, after she successfully defended the cypress tree, I found an injured red-winged blackbird in the woods. We kept the bird in a cage hanging in an oak tree, nursing it back to good health. I'd talk to the bird, and I swear it would listen to me. One morning, it was time to release our feathered patient, but, unfortunately, instead of my little friend in the cage, there was a four-foot long red cornsnake with a large lump in its belly. It was a bummer; I wanted that snake dead, until Mom explained to me the way nature worked.

"There's a balance in nature, son that we humans don't always understand," she said.

I watched the snakes fixed eyes and slithering tongue closely as Mom opened the cage, releasing it up into the oak. Over time, my fear of snakes evaporated completely.

I've always had an innate ability to strike up a conversation with a stranger, and as a very young child they tell me I had no fear of anyone. However, what I fear now more than ever before, are human beings. Indulging in books like Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction and the mind expanding Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity has led me to believe human choice are the biggest problem we face today. If we humans (especially governments) don't start making wiser choices about how we live on this planet soon, I assure you the vast majority of us will not be having such a good time in the very near future.

We must stop abusing nature to further our human pleasures and material gains. We now are facing a time where we must make decisions based on how our actions affect the sustainability of biodiversity. I understand this will take time, and we don't have much time, but now is the time for a change!

Another time has come; Mom died on Christmas Eve 2012. I may have lost one of my greatest mentors, but the foundation in nature and conservation she gave me has continued to mentor me in many rich ways over the past years.

Thanks, Mom, I love you.




Rodney Smith, CEO of Little Pond Publishing;and author of Catching Made Easy and Enjoying Life on the Indian River Lagoon is a visionary and community leader who like to share his tales. Download these books digitally on Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble by searching "Rodney Smith+Name of book"; or order the soft-covered books online!  See all of Rodney's upcoming events and exploits at www.rodneysmithmedia.com.