July 20, 2010
Today’s Program: Fishing with Captain Rick Frazier
Today’s Speaker: Captain Frazier
Our speaker today, Captain Rick Frazier, is making an encore engagement with the club. For the last three years, he has donated a charter fishing trip to the Fischer/Carr Auction Night.
Captain Rick is a full-time professional fishing guide who has fished the waters of Tampa Bay since 1964. He skippers a fully rigged 22-foot Privateer fishing machine equipped with Mercury power. Specialties include light-tackle salt water fishing for tarpon, red drum snook, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, pompano, and sheepshead.
He has filmed local TV fishing segments for four years for both WTVT-Fox Channel 13 and Brighthouse BayNews Channel 9. He is an outdoor/fishing correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper and writes numerous columns for them including “Landlubber”, “Tournament Insider”, and “The Freshwater Report”. He’s also featured in the paper’s daily fishing report and writes other outdoor features for the paper as well.
He is a member of the Florida Outdoor Writer Association, (FOWA), The Florida Guides Association, (FGA), and The National Association of Charter Boat Operators, (NACO).
For beginners and veterans alike, Captain Rick conducts a nine-week adult education saltwater fishing class three times a year covering all aspects of saltwater fishing. Set at Lakewood High School, Captain Rick teaches fishing techniques, fish identification, conservation, laws, and boating-related subjects. Also, professionals in the fishing industry like himself come to class and speak on a wide variety of fishing topics.
Editor’s Note: F.Y.I….. for $50.00 this class is a great deal and is quite rewarding and interesting as I attended three years ago.
What’s Happening
Go Deep - Louis Murphy, pastor of Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, told us about the 3rd annual Football Camp on July 16 and 17 sponsored by Mt. Zion for high school and middle school players. Their goal is to teach young men leadership skills and instill values on and off the field. Several current and former NFL players donate their time for motivational speeches.
Frankenstein – Fine master Frank Ranieri, budding game show host, used our members as foils, or maybe fools, in the sure-fire hit “Win it in a minute.” Thanks to all the participants including Debbie Deeb, Michael Brown and Ron Braun.
Program Committee Meeting - The Program Committee meeting is tonight at Tom Nelson’s house, after the postponement of last weeks meeting due to illness.
Milk Carton – Yes, someone saw Bob’s picture on a milk carton and sent him back where he belongs. Welcome back, President Bob!
Kiwanis International Worldwide Project – Charles Stuart announced that at the International Convention Kiwanis has committed an effort to eliminate fetal tetanus in pregnant mothers throughout the world. Watch for further details for how to help with this worthwhile project.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day Scott Boyle introduced Bobby Spaeth, a spokesperson for the Florida commercial fishing industry. Bobby’s first and main point is the ongoing unification of commercial and recreational fishing interests. As a team the two groups fight the numerous and onerous regulations by various regulatory agencies that threaten their respective positions.
Locally, Bobby works and lives out of Madeira Beach, considered by many the grouper capital of the United States. As the “unofficial taxi driver” of the grouper industry, he feels it is his job to “show me the grouper” to our fanatic grouper lovers.
And after almost three months, Bobby and his brethren are bracing for the short and long term effects of the BP Oil spill off coastal Louisiana. While the well may be capped it is hard to establish a finite impact, says Bobby, but what can be said now is that a large portion of the Gulf will be devastated for many years.
Bobby’s other point of angst is the desperate fisherman filing fraudulent claims for government assistance while others suffer with no opportunities for money.
In the question and answer period Bobby sprinkled his opinions and facts with us:
- Due to regulations, there are more Red Snapper in the Gulf than ever
- Farm raised salmon as a food source are taboo for him
- The fish quality in the areas in the Gulf tainted by the oil are still unknown
- The impact of grouper identification for restaurants and dealers turned customers to other fish like tilapia or orange roughy
- The winter’s cold snaps did not significantly impact fish stocks in the Gulf or bays
Thanks, Bobby, for telling us what the grassroots’ feelings are of the fishermen who work hard to provide us with the fish we eat.
Attendance Last Week
We had 48 members and 3 visitors, including Leanne Lake, guest of Marcus Mittermayr and Louis Murphy, Jr., guest and son of Louis Murphy.
This Week’s Quiz
- What is the Florida State freshwater fish?
- What is the Florida State saltwater fish?
- What is the Florida State shell?
- How many lakes over 10 acres does Florida have? a)4,000 b) 5,250 c) 6,457 d) 7,700
- What counties is Lake Okeechobee divided between?
Last Week’s Quiz
- The poem “Hiawatha” was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
- The names of the three ships Columbus sailed to North America in 1492 were the names of the ships were la Santa Clara, la Pinta, la Santa Maria/Gallega. The crew renamed the ships to the Nina (the girl, or rather, the "working" girl); the Pintada (or the "painted" one; i.e. the girl wearing make-up, in other words, the prostitute) and the Maria Galante (the surname of another "lady of leisure"). The church censored the nicknames to more Christian names which are now considered "true history".
- As used in a military context, "SNAFU" was first recorded in American Notes and Queries in their September 1941 issue; Time magazine used the term in their June 15, 1942 issue: "Last week U.S. citizens knew that gasoline rationing and rubber requisitioning were snafu."
- In addition to the University of Florida Gators each of these schools are also called Gators: Allegheny College (Meadville, Pennsylvania), College of Notre Dame of Maryland (Baltimore, Maryland) , Pine Manor College (Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts), Russell Sage College (Troy, New York), San Francisco State University (San Francisco, California), University of Houston-Downtown (Houston, Texas)
- Amelia Earhart was trying to reach Howland Island prior to her disappearance. Her navigator was Fred Noonan.
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