Trailmix: Outdoors news and notes

More gulf waters reopened to fishing

Last week federal officials reopened 4,281 square miles of Gulf of Mexico waters previously closed because of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to commercial and recreational fishing. All waters typically within reach of Tampa Bay area anglers fall within the open areas. Federal officials had also recently reopened areas off Florida's Panhandle to finfish catches only.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, no oil has been found in the reopened area since a light sheen was observed July 29. NOAA also performed sensory and chemical analyses of shrimp and finfish from the region, including mackerel and snapper, before determining that seafood from this area is safe for consumption.

NOAA will continue to monitor seafood harvested throughout the gulf by way of dockside and market-based sampling.

The total area closed to fishing is now down to 48,114 square miles, or about 20 percent of federal waters in the gulf. The ban peaked at 37 percent closure, more than 88,000 square miles.

The nearest point to the Deepwater Horizon wellhead currently open to fishing is about 115 miles to the northeast, in waters roughly south of Pensacola.

David Malaxos, Times staff writer

Outdoors poll

Last month: A repeat: If Florida's gulf coastline is opened to oil drilling, what will you do? The answers now (and when we asked in December 2009 before the gulf oil spill):

Call the movers, I'm out of here

45%

(33% last time)

Total votes: 69 votes

Nothing, it won't change a thing

33%

(28% last time)

Celebrate, I'm all for it

22%

(39% last time)

New question: Did you, or will you, buy a snook stamp at the raised price (now $10 from $2)?

Vote at outdoors.tampabay.com.

Gear check

Going camping? This is Florida, so count on those weather forecasts to call for a high probability of rain. Before you go, one important thing to check is the seams of your tent and rain fly. Look for holes and tears, and above all, make sure to seal them — both inside and out — if you haven't lately. Set up the tent, remove any old sealer so the material is clean and dry. Apply multiple thin coats, if you like, but leave the tent set up until completely dry.

Steve Curtis in the camping department at the Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park recommends Gear Aid Seam Grip made by McNett.

"It is a polyurethane product and is a little more challenging to apply than a water-based sealer, but lasts much longer and stands up to heavy use much better," Curtis wrote in an e-mail. "A 1-ounce tube will seal the seams on an average two-person tent. If the tent you are sealing is silicone-treated, you should use another product by Gear Aid called Silnet. It is just as good, but bonds better to silicone treated fabrics."

Yet another chance to get your feet wet at paddleboarding

Nobody knows for sure who started the stand-up paddleboard craze, but chances are before the term went mainstream, some windsurfer tried to paddle a board on a flat day after the wind died. It's no wonder that Starboard, one of the original windsurfer manufacturers, jumped into the SUP game. You can paddle one of these classics for free this weekend on Pass-A-Grille Beach. Suncoast Surf Shop, the first store in Tampa Bay to sell wave riding watercrafts, is hosting a free demo day next to the Paradise Grill at this Sunday's VW Drive In event. Test paddle some boards from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call Joe Nuzzo at (727) 367-2483 for more information.

Q&A

Ask the experts

Got a question pertaining to one of Florida's great outdoors pursuits? E-mail it to rkenda@sptimes.com and put Q&A in the subject field. We'll try to find an expert to provide an answer in our outdoors pages.

Looking ahead

Oct. 2: Tampa Bay Pipes and Drums Band inshore fishing tournament fundraiser. Tampa Harbour Yacht Club near the Gandy Bridge. Species: Redfish, trout, snook. Cost: $1,000 per team of four anglers. Boats, guides, bait provided. Captains meeting, 6 p.m., Oct. 1, at O'Brien's Irish Pub in Brandon. Sign-up deadline: Sept. 15. Contact: Andrew Lusher (727) 743-8835.

trailmix

{outdoors-related bits and bites}

King of the bucketmouths

Castaic Lake in California has produced two bass of more than 20 pounds to the same angler, Bob Crupi. His largest was caught in March 1991, weighing in at 22 pounds, mere ounces away from the 22-pound, 4-ounce world record now shared by George Perry (Lake Montgomery, Georgia, 1932) and Manabu Kurita (Lake Biwa, Japan, 2009). But did you know that Crupi has caught 104 International Game Fish Association-certified 10-pound bass? Thirteen of them are peacock bass and 91 are largemouths. Funny thing is, largemouth bass are not native to California. Many strains of bass were imported from, you guessed it, Florida.