Preserve your catch with a photo finish

By TERRY TOMALIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 16, 2000

Snook season remains closed through July and August, but don't let that stop you. There is no better time than now to catch (and release) a fat linesider.

And one of the most important things to remember when fishing for snook this time of year, besides a good tide, is to bring a camera.

Summer is the best time to catch a monster and you want to have proof to show your friends.

Most point-and-shoot cameras will do, if you follow a few basic rules:

Use a flash. Most fishermen wear caps when they fish and the brim will cast a shadow on their face. The flash will remove this shadow and help bring out the natural colors of a fish.

Keep the sun at your back. If you don't, the picture will look washed out.

Keep the background simple. Shoot the fish on the boat with a blue sky or sea in the background. Don't take a picture of your buddy standing back at the boat ramp or in front of the bait shop or boat ramp.

Get as close to your subject as possible. Many anglers stand too far away from the fish. When you look through the viewfinder, fill up the frame with the fisherman and fish, not the sky or water.

Don't be afraid to move the camera. In most shots, the angler holds the fish horizontally, leaving a lot of sky or water. Tell your subject to hold the fish vertically, then hold the camera vertically and you will get more of the fish and angler in the frame.

Shoot at dawn and dusk. This is when the light is the softest and the fish are feeding.

Pay attention to detail. Look before you shoot. People want to see a nice fish, not your cousin Bubba's beer belly.

Keep a camera handy. You can buy an inexpensive point-and-shoot for $100. Stick it in a ziplock bag and stash it with your safety gear.

Shoot the biggest fish, not a whole stringer full. Anglers are more conservation-minded than ever before. Nobody likes to see a dozen fish rotting on a dock. Be selective.

And if you do catch (and release) a trophy snook this summer, send a photo to: Great Catch!, Times Sports, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731-1121. But please note, the photo will not be returned.

We can also receive Great Catch photos digitally. Here's how: Save the photo(s) in JPEG format on high (7) compression; make sure it is at least a 7 meg file when open; Include as much caption information as possible (who, what, when, where, why and how) and save that information in the FILE INFO area of your picture and also in the body of your E-MAIL labeled Great Catch!; Send it to Timeslab@aol.com.

LOCAL SKA WINNERS: Local anglers captured three of the top four spots in last weekend's Southern Kingfish Association's Professional Tour stop in Savannah, Ga.

Randy Keys' La Perla team from Madeira Beach took second place with a 53.2-pound aggregate score for two fish. Junior anglers Cody and Kyle Chivas fished with Keys both days and landed a 21.2-pound king on the first day, and a 32-pounder on the second.

Creative out of Tampa, with Ron Kien and Joe Verilla finished third with an aggregate score of 51.9 pounds for their best two fish. David Van Lent with Yellowfin out of Belleair Beach finished fourth.

Kingfish action returns to Tampa Bay on Oct. 28 when Treasure Island Charities sponsors the Indian Rocks Beach Suncoast Kingfish Classic, an SKA-sanctioned event. Fishing continues on Nov. 4-5 with the Suncoast Kingfish Classic at Treasure Island. To register, call (727) 363-0071.

NO FEEDING: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold a public workshop July 25 in Dania Beach about feeding marine animals, a practice on some scuba diving tours. A proposed commission rule would prohibit this activity.

The workshop will take place from 4-7 p.m. at the International Game Fish Association's Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum, 300 Gulf Stream Way. Call Lee Schlesinger at (850) 487-0554.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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