The Importance For Boaters To Have An EPRIB

Just a quick update on the lost fishermen at sea and hopefully a reminder for all boaters to buy saftey equipment which could save your life. If anything good comes out of this story maybe this is it.

This story was written by Fox News and the full story is here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,505172,00.html

"Two days before NFL player Marquis Cooper took a doomed fishing trip with three friends in Florida Gulf Coast waters, a friend urged him to buy a life-saving device used to locate boats in distress.

Cooper hadn't heard of the gadget, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). And he didn't purchase one before his excursion on Saturday, according to the St. Petersburg Times.

Cooper friend William Bleakley and fellow NFL player Corey Smith remain lost and presumed dead after their boat flipped over in rough seas Saturday."

Our prayers are with them.

An unBelizeable Vacation and Wedding

I actually love Belize so much I got married there and invited 20 close friends to a scuba diving and fishing trip a few days earlier just so I could “make sure everything is ok” if you know what I mean. I had to use this excuse so I could check out some of the opportunities Belize offered that my bride to be doesn’t appreciate as much as me.


While I was married on Ambergris Caye we spent the majority of our time early in the trip on dive charters seeing the different islands and atolls such as Turneffe Islands and Glovers reef both of which were a lot of fun and the wildlife was plentiful. We took a few land based trips into the jungle to see some Mayan sites, took a cave tubing trip, which was awesome but very cold, and ended this excursion with a mud bath from an exotic looking woman which I still can’t believe I did. We could not make it and dive the Blue Hole due to the weather and the Whale Sharks were not there yet which they typically come through on the 3rd week in April and stay a few weeks.

There is great fishing and diving and site seeing in Belize with very friendly people and I would highly recommend you to take a trip and see everything it has to offer. There are many resorts which will cater to your needs even though the resorts were I stayed were not the 4 seasons I was not disappointed. Find a fishing rods and look for some free classifieds for deals to help you enjoy your vacation even more.

Our Thoughts And Prayers To The Lost Fishermen in Florida

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the 3 lost fishermen and their family and friends off the coast of St Petersburg Fl this past weekend. We will keep you in our prayers.

MyNauticalMile

An octopus tried to eat me!

Well not really but it did take a nibble. I tell people this story and they look at me in disbelief and I don’t know if it is because of the octopus or the actual trip itself.

A friend of mine decided to drive down from Jacksonville Beach in my company car on a Friday morning down to the Keys off Marathon and camp out while fishing the bridges. We has set up a tent and had our fishing rods out for a great night of bridge fishing hoping to catch that tarpon or really anything else that would bite. A pin fish would have probably worked just fine. We thought it would be cool to drink whisky, smoke cigars and fish (which sounds pretty good right about now while I’m on an airplane for work).

Anyway, it was getting late but not too late (11 p.m. or so) when we got a little antsy because the fish were not biting, and we had cheap whiskey, so we made the executive decision to drive to Key West party there and camp out by the airport. So we pack up our scuba and fishing gear and went to the car. As we are putting all our fishing supplies away we notice there is a flat tire on the back passenger side. We didn’t panic because I had a can of fix a flat. And as you know all you ever need in life is fix a flat and duct tape and everything will be just fine. And sure enough we made it to Key West just fine. We drove to a shell station and took off the bad tire and replaced it with the little steroid free donut tire which looks like it should be on one of my bikes. We left the tire on the doorstep with a note and phone number so we could pick up the tire the next day and headed straight to Hogs Breath, Ricks and Sloppy Joes and partied all night.

When we had killed all the brain cells we could possibly destroy the trip took another twist. We decided to go for a night dive. I already know what you’re thinking and yes it was stupid but a whole lot of fun. We took a cab to our car, grabbed the gear, set up camp and headed to a little reef a few hundred yards off the coast by the airport. We swim out a littlie way and found the reef we have been diving on for years just like we remembered. But this time the reef was lit up at night with animals I haven’t seen before and it was like a new reef at night. There were beautiful fish everywhere and no sign of the larger fish we typically see. I was looking up under the ledge when I noticed a few lobster and then a decent size octopus. I have never held an octopus before so I thought I would try to ease him/him out and pet the beautiful creature. My buddy swims over with his light and I coax the sweet critter out. It was beautiful, with green and yellow colors about the size of an orange. It crawled around my hand and we were petting it like a little kitten when all of a sudden it rapidly changed colors to a dark purple all over, wrapped all it’s sticky little paws around my hand and clamped down. The next thing I know I have a sharp pain on my hand and realize this thing is trying to eat me whole. I screamed like a little girl underwater, which is hard to do, (no offense ladies) and shake my hand as if it’s on fire (because it was). I finally get the octopus off my hand and swim to the surface. We head in ad when I get to the shore I noticed this thing had bitten threw my dive glove with his beak. I didn’t know they could do that or would do that, but it happened. I poured some whiskey on it and threw a couple Band-Aids on for good measure.

The sun was coming up and we were still up and needed breakfast. So we went down to the local pancake shop and had a good meal. We then decided to head downtown again and see if any place was open. We ended up drinking all day and somehow participated in a Captain Tony’s wedding parade, which I still can’t explain. We rented a cheap room from a free classifieds book because we were tired of sleep on rocks and ended up partying g all night again without sleeping. The next day we woke up late and went to the Shell station to pick up my tire. They were closed on Sunday! I have to go home and be at work the next day so we had to drive 55 MPH all the way from the keys 12 hours with a wimpy donut tire and a bite on my hand from a local octopus. The next day I had to buy a new tire and rim for my company car since I left the other one in the Keys. Oh well we had fun all along the way.

We Just Launched eAtlantis.com Free Aquatic Classifieds

MyNauticalMile.com is proud to announce we just launched a new website for anyone to list free classifieds for anything related to water activities, spots or business. The website eAtlantis.com is 100% free and you can list your advertisement in multiple cities all around the world. We hope this helps the community we are so passionate about. The lost city has been found at eAtlantis.com free classifieds

Top 10 Fishing Vacation Destinations

I thought I would start this blog with a bit of controversy discussing which areas are the best for fishing, whether it is deep sea or in rivers and streams, I will list my top 10 fishing destinations for you to ponder. I listed what I consider to the top fishing vacations spots worldwide and I’m sure people will disagree on a few of the destinations. But we can all agree that a day spent fishing, whether you’re on a charter boat or sitting on ice, will help you forget your worries at least a little while.

Here are my choices for:

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 10
Phuket, Thailand

While you can find many scuba diving boats in Phuket to see the wonders lying below the surface Phuket sport fishing is still gaining recognition but there are plenty of fish like trevally, jacks, sea bass, barracuda and other species waiting to be caught.

While I have never done this you can try your luck catching the largest species of catfish in the world, the Mekong Catfish, using a fishing guide or charter.

If you’re tired of all the fun fishing or scuba diving provides then enjoy the night life of Phuket and trust me you will. There are great resorts all around but you can also rent some gorgeous vacation rentals by owner for just as much money and get more house for your vacation.

The island is served by Phuket International Airport located on the island.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 9
Limón and Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Once you get to the end of my top ten you will realize I love Costa Rica fishing and really the country in general. The “rich coast” has some of the best sport fishing worldwide and they understand that the fishing industry needs to be protected.

Limón is a province of located in the eastern part of the country on the Atlantic Ocean. It borders from the south the country of Panama and the province Puntarenas. The capital city is Limon. You have a wide range of choices of species to target off the eastern province on the Caribbean. Your charter captain will probably target Jack Crevalle, Snook, Mackerel, Dorado, Tarpon, and Tripletail.

Puntarenas is located in the western part of Costa Rica covering most of the Pacific Coast. It borders on the provinces Limon, Guanacaste, San Jose, Alajuela and borders Panama. The charter a boat captain on the western coast of Puntarenas, and find Roosterfish, Tuna Dorado, Snook and Wahoo.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 8
Venice Louisiana

Both the coastal and offshore waters have so many natural gas platforms it provides the waters with great cover for the big fish. The Mississippi River has created the bountiful Mississippi Canyon which has very deep waters close to the coast. I will go out on a limb here and say you can’t catch more or bigger fish anywhere within the U.S. than off the coast of Louisiana.
You should charter a boat in Louisiana for big Yellow Fin Tuna, Wahoo, Blue Marlin, Mahi-Mahi, Blackfin Tuna, Big Sharks very soon or your doing yourself a disservice. Whether you’re looking for a guide for redfish in the marshes of Louisiana or an off shore boat captain in search of the perfect fish Louisiana offers has it all waiting for you.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 7
British Columbia

With 6,000 coastal islands and islets and 12,000 miles of water habitat in British Columbia a myriad of game fish await you including Pacific salmon, giant halibut, rockfish, and an enormous collection of shellfish. British Columbia has over 24,000 pristine lakes and rivers to keep the freshwater anglers happy. British Columbia has nearly two dozen species of freshwater sportfish, including the much large Rainbow Trout. Find the perfect fishing guide or charter boat for the best BC fishing experience possible.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 6
Alaska

Alaska's oceans, lakes and rivers are packed with record breaking Salmon, Rainbow Trout, beautiful Arctic Char, barn door Halibut and many other sport fish. Fish all 5regions to get a taste of every kind of Alaska fishing possible.

Whether you are fishing off the coast on a charter boat for that monster Halibut we all have seen in pictures or find a Alaska fishing guide and fly fish one of the many rivers full of salmon a fishing vacation in Alaska is a must do. While I have not done this as of today I have had many people tell me that Alaska fishing is some of the best in the world. I look forward to the day I can charter a boat in Alaska and have my own picture with a world record halibut.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 5
Boca Grande Florida

I have always wanted to catch that 200 pound tarpon and the place to do it is Boca Grande Florida. There are multiple tarpon charter captains that can help you maneuver through the masses so you to can land that monster tarpon. Boca Grande Pass is the tarpon fishing capital of the world. The tarpon gather in such large numbers to feed it is impossible not to catch a monster tarpon with the right fishing guide. If you get lucky maybe you will see one of the many great hammerhead sharks that try to steal your catch. It is a site to be seen. Use a reputable charter boat to ensure you get the best Charlotte Harbor fishing experience possible.

Boca Grande is located on the west coast of Florida at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 4
Marsh Harbor, Bahamas (Abaco)

This one is unique to me because you can go out and spend all day on some of the most beautiful yacht charters in the world to land that monster marlin, bull dolphin or Wahoo and then right before sunset you can go spear fishing for a nice snapper or two on a scuba diving charter.

Marsh Harbor is a quaint town with very nice shops, restaurants and hotels to choose from or you can pick a great vacation rental by owner from many websites. If your spear fishing for some hog nose or rooster tail be cautious of the reef sharks. I found them to like the snapper as much as I did. I love Marsh Harbor fishing experience and you will too.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 3
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Looking to land a bull Dolphin, Wahoo, Yellowfin, while hunting down the largest Marlin around? Then look no further than Cabo San Lucas Mexico where you can find some of the best yacht charters in the world to take you on a fishing trip you will never forget. Catch and release helps keep the Cabo waters full of large Marlin so come on down and find the perfect deep sea charter for you.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 2
Islamorada, Florida

Just a couple of miles from Key Largo you will find the hot bed of Florida fishing in a little key called Islamorada. Right next to Holiday Isle you will find a fleet of Islamorada charter boats waiting for you. While you will catch multiple species of fish throughout the year you can land monster Mahi, Wahoo and occasionally a nice Yellowfin or two. I highly recommend fishing Islamorada if you get a chance. Then spend a little while having a beverage of choice while the boat is parked on a sand bar about a mile off the coast. Islamorada sport fishing is a great life experience you should try.

Top 10 Fishing Destinations
Number 1
Quepos, Costa Rica

While I’m sure people will disagree with my number one choice for fishing vacations I have never had as much fun fishing as I did off the coast of Quepos Costa Rica. Quepos is a small city situated on the central Pacific coast. It is directly south of San Jose approximately a 3 hour drive by car or hop a 30 minute flight and land in the fields of Quepos. Quepos has a few nice restaurants, lounges, and moderately priced hotels or try a vacation rental in Manuel Antonio. It also has a post office, bank, pharmacy, a small medical clinic, several hardware stores, a bakery and numerous grocery stores and specialty shops. You can rent a car from Hertz located just inside the city limits.

The harbor in Quepos Costa Rica is lined with some of the best fishing charters and yacht charters in the country and I personally think the area is one of the best places in the world to catch that monster sailfish you have always dreamed of. The great thing about the boat charters in Quepos (really all of Costa Rica) is they practice catch and release and really work on releasing the fish without harm to ensure a great fishing experience. I would highly recommend Quepos to novices and experts alike. Quepos, Costa Rica has long held an international reputation as one of the hottest spots in the world for big game fish. Costa Rica offers first class boat charters for sailfish, Marlin , Roosters, Tuna, Dorados and many other species.