My New Blog

Just got a call from Ed in Cleveland who wanted to know how he can buy a piece of our beautiful island..The article below was featured in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper this past Sunday...

On unflashy Anna Maria Island in Florida, we let go of winter and reel in a fish story

Published: Saturday, April 02, 2011, 1:30 PM

By Amanda Garrett, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer
Follow

Tweet

Share

[]3

Share close

Google Buzz Digg Stumble Upon Fark

Share Email Print

View full sizeChris Stephens l The Plain DealerThe Rod and Reel, a small stucco inn on the northern tip of Anna Maria Island, is a throwback to old Florida.

ANNA MARIA, Fla. — Shark.

Big shark, like the 1,200-pound, imaginary predator that chases me through my snorkeling dreams and almost always swims through the back of my mind when I step into the aqua-blue ocean waters I so crave during Ohio winters.

Shark.

That's all I could think when I saw the tip of my husband's fishing rod plunge toward the water off the Rod and Reel Pier.

We are not fishermen, my husband and I. Not by many fishermen's standards, anyway.

I grew up in rural Ohio long before Google connected cornfields to the larger world. To pass summer afternoons, I'd dig up a handful of night crawlers and head to a neighbor's tiny pond where I'd pull up -- and throw back -- a couple dozen bluegills, half-convinced the fish only bit my hook because they were as bored and lonely as I was.

My husband, William, had more experience. When he was a boy, his father, grandfather and he spent summer weeks at Lakeside hauling in enough perch from Lake Erie daily to feed the family. But that was 25 years ago and 1,200 miles away.

Now we stood where Tampa Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, using fish the size of bluegills and perch as bait.

View full sizeKen Marshall, The Plain Dealer

Whatever William had on his hook screamed away from the pier, unfurling his fishing line much faster than he could reel it in.

Before William and I married, I told my husband-to-be not to worry about buying me a big diamond ring. What would make me a happy wife and what would almost certainly help keep our marriage strong was a solemn pledge to fly us away from interminably gray, snow-covered Cleveland every winter.

For a decade, he kept that pledge. Aruba; Tortola in the British Virgin Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Jamaica. Then the economy collapsed. We fared better than many, holding on to our jobs in 2008 by taking a 13 percent pay cut. But we both knew luxuries like our winter trips were gone.

We grumbled through a bitter-cold January 2009. February's gloom left us each short-tempered. By St. Patrick's Day, we had enough and began looking for a cheaper tropical escape and some moonlighting work to pay for it.

Like so many Ohioans, we quickly zeroed in on Florida, a fairly straight shot south on interstates. After some research, we settled on Anna Maria Island in particular, one of several keys that run between Sarasota and Tampa. White-sand beaches. Gentle Gulf surf. And, unlike so much of Florida's coasts, no high-rises.

Sunup to sundown at the Rod and Reel

A crowd, apparently sensing excitement on the pier, quickly began gathering around William.

View full sizeChris Stephens l The Plain DealerA lone angler casts a line shortly after sunset on the Rod & Reel Pier. The rickety wooden pier is a haven for those who enjoy catching - and eating - seafood.

"Rod tip up, rod tip up," a more experienced angler chided, moving others out of the way so William could walk along the back edge of the pier to wrangle the sea monster at the end of his line.

There is nothing like Rod and Reel in Northeast Ohio, but there should be. Bare wood planks jut out about 350 feet into Tampa Bay, where a two-story building about the size of a four-car garage sits surrounded by backless benches for people to fish or appreciate the view.

A tiny beer- and wine-only bar with separate, utilitarian bathrooms for men and women (marked "Inboard" and "Outboard") make up the first floor. And a simple restaurant featuring the day's catch -- often grouper or amberjack -- fills the second with indoor and outdoor dining.

Nothing flashy. Nothing trendy. Nothing expensive. Just a salty, authentic oasis from an increasingly bland, saccharine world.

Fishermen show up for the first pot of coffee before sunup and locals linger over beers long after sundown, often recounting the whopper stories of grouper, tarpon and shark that lie in yellowed newspaper clippings under a thick layer of polyurethane covering the bar. The tallest tales always involve Frank Cavendish, a natural showman who owned Rod and Reel for a 20-year stretch over the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Cavendish, as locals tell it, entertained people for years by plunging into the ocean from the second story of the pier every day about 3 p.m. and swimming to shore.

View full sizeChris Stephens l The Plain DealerBirds of prey are ready to swoop in for a meal anytime.

One day, however, his swim was cut short by a shark. According to a newspaper report, Cavendish recounted the incident this way: "All of a sudden, I saw this old boy heading for me . . . And I curled up in a little ball so he couldn't bite my legs," Cavendish said. The shark then turned and swatted Cavendish with his sandpaper-like tale. "That tail peeled me like an orange. It took four Manhattans and a box of Band-Aids to get over that."

The incident abruptly ended Cavendish's daily dives, but he ultimately had the last laugh.

Cavendish kept a log of all the sharks fishermen caught off Rod and Reel -- 770. That included Cavendish's own record-shattering catch in 1973: a 17-foot, 1,386-pound hammerhead.

Now I knew William wasn't fighting anything that big. His line couldn't hold it (Cavendish brought up his huge hammerhead with a rope and chain). But William's catch had to be something extraordinary because people eating dinner upstairs had taken notice and started heckling from above.

"It's a giant grouper."

"I've never seen a 20-foot flounder before."

"You've got a snag."

A first impression is a mistake

We rolled onto Anna Maria Island in May just before sunup. Through the passenger's side window, I saw a cacophony of mom-and-pop motels and restaurants that made me flash back to road trips with my parents in the '70s. Oh, boy, I worried, had we made a mistake? Cool kitsch or dilapidated disappointment?

Details

Getting there: If you drive to Anna Maria, you have two choices from Greater Cleveland, and each takes about 20 hours. If you follow I-77 south to I-95, Savannah, Ga., makes an ideal stopping point to spend a night. It's about midway through the Drive, and strolling Savannah's historic district is a welcome stretch after a long car ride. If you follow I-71 south to I-75, aim for Chattanooga, Tenn. Its riverfront also offers a nice walk. We usually drive one route south and the other route north to stem boredom.

If you would rather fly, Tampa International Airport, about 60 miles north, has nonstop flights from Cleveland. Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is closer, but is generally more expensive and requires a connection from Northeast Ohio.

Where to stay: Most places in Anna Maria are weekly vacation rentals, from cozy one-bedroom cottages to luxury beach homes with more than five bedrooms. Before you book, make sure you double-check where your rental is on Anna Maria Island. Holmes Beach is the busier, commercial end of the island with great public beaches (with restrooms and nearby restaurants) and lots for children to do. Anna Maria village is on the northern tip of the island, where you'll find both Rod and Reel Pier and Bean Point, a spectacular but smaller public beach without any amenities.

Sato Real Estate (satorealestate.com) and Anna Maria Island Accommodations (annamariaparadise.com) have lots of options, many including wireless Internet and private pools. For shorter stays, there's the Rod and Reel Motel (rodandreelmotel.com), with its own tiny beach next to the pier. Tip: If you can make it through winter to the shoulder season -- May -- you'll save about 20 percent off accommodations and avoid crowds that sometimes cause traffic backups onto the island.

Where to eat: No need to change out of your flip-flops for lots of excellent choices nearby, but bring cash -- many local places don't accept credit cards.

Rod and Reel Pier, 875 North Shore Drive, has its own restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the best view on the island. You can't go wrong with the fresh catch of the day, perfectly grilled. Order the sandwich without the bun -- it's a full meal at half the price of a dinner.

Duffy's Tavern (duffystavernami.com) on Holmes Beach reminds you why hamburgers achieved icon status in the United States, even if you don't think you're a burger person. $1 mugs/$5 pitchers of beer.

Star Fish Co. (starfishcompany.com) on nearby Cortez is a combination dock/restaurant/fish market. Features include mullet, grouper, pompano, stone crab and other local specialties, served on the waterfront in cardboard boxes on picnic benches.

Also, stock your kitchen from Publix grocery and the Fish Market on Anna Maria Island (thefishmarketami.com), both in Holmes Beach. A Whole Foods Market is in nearby Sarasota, a worthwhile 30-minute drive across other islands, along beaches and water.

-- Amanda Garrett

I didn't say anything. We had worked too hard to get here and I wasn't about to ruin something before it began. As we headed north, crossing out of Holmes Beach and into Anna Maria village at the tip of the island, the clutter gave way to tidy residential streets of cottages and stilted houses with garages underneath.

When William opened the door of our two-bedroom rental -- owned by the same family for 50 years -- trepidation faded. Inside, French Country melded with modern, airy beach house. And outside, a small, in-ground pool was ringed by blooming bougainvillea and all sorts of palms.

Shaking off road fatigue, we walked a couple of blocks to the beach, past a park and then followed lights to a nearby pier where several fishermen already had lines in the water. A weathered wooden sign, its white letters hand-painted without the help of a stencil, greeted us to the Rod and Reel Pier.

We walked out across the water and sat on a bench that overlooks Tampa's Skyway Bridge in the distance, waiting to watch the sun rise.

Three locals in kayaks soon paddled by. Six or so dolphins passed, heading in the opposite direction.

And then, about an hour later, a waitress upstairs called out and pointed. Two manatees glided underneath the pier, emerging on the other side with a brief snort of water.

Fishermen, meanwhile, were hauling in all kinds of fish we had never seen before: ladyfish, blue runners and an 18-inch green-and-silver fish called Spanish mackerel that locals said was perfect for ceviche made with Florida grapefruit.

We met Australians and Jamaicans and a Russian wearing a Brazil soccer jersey. Our morning coffee soon gave way to midday beer and an easy decision -- we needed fishing gear.

We weren't fishermen, but Rod and Reel, to our great surprise, was where we wanted to be.

Reeling in a big catch

William's face was red, and he was starting to sweat. Cameras were flashing and several strangers were videotaping him, narrating his epic fishing battle on their vacation film.

View full sizeChris Stephens l The Plain DealerA pier on Anna Maria Island, Fla., offers fishing or just a chance to enjoy the water and the sunshine.

He had been reeling in this catch for more than 10 minutes, and whatever it was had been fighting him the whole time. We had already caught a few small sharks off Rod and Reel, mostly 2- and 3-foot blacktips and lemons, along with more than a dozen kinds of fish, including a few lookdowns -- nearly flat tropical fish that can fetch $200 at aquarium stores.

But none of them bucked like this.

If it was a big shark, I knew we didn't know how to handle it. Some fishermen have been seriously injured by sharks they caught.

I walked around the corner looking for help. Malcolm, a long-hair dachshund that greets people evenings on Rod and Reel, was tied outside the bar. The dog's owner, Jimmy, is one of three bait men and fishing advisers who work the pier, and he had been teaching us how to fish in the ocean (and take hooks out of pesky pelicans who dive and swallow bait).

Jimmy knew right away that William wasn't at war with a shark. But before he could say anything, a flat, round creature -- more than 3 feet in diameter -- broke the surface of the water. It was a huge stingray.

There was a collective groan of disappointment from the hecklers upstairs hoping for a shark, but those capturing the moment on film seemed as delighted as we were to see a ray that large.

Jimmy, however, was now concerned. Maneuvering a ray that size onto the pier wasn't easy. And the ray's barb -- the sharp spine a ray instinctively shoots from its tail when it's frightened -- can be dangerous. In 2006, television's "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed when a ray fired a barb into his chest.

But then William's line snapped: Crack!

The stingray disappeared under the water, presumably swimming away to find a long and peaceful life.

We were left empty-handed, but forever had a fish story of our own to share with visitors to Rod and Reel Pier.

And we found an affordable escape, a warm-weather destination we visit when Ohio's long winters are too much to bear.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: agarrett@plaind.com, 216-999-4814

Related topics: anna maria island, florida, travel

Sponsored Links

Share this story

Print Email Story tools

More stories in Travel

Previous story
Time for a baseball road trip: Travel in Threes

Next story
Civil War's 150th anniversary: As a landmark, Fort Sumter is just the beginning

Copyright 2011 cleveland.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

3

Comments Feed

[]

View: Oldest first | Newest first

itsacurve April 02, 2011 at 3:11PM

Follow

Wow, quite a story. Anna Maria is beautiful as is the west coast of Florida and great nightlife in Sarasota and St. Armands circle, world class.

Inappropriate? Alert us.

Reply Post new

karen schrade April 02, 2011 at 4:41PM

Follow

My husband & I got married in Anna Maria Island 2 years ago. So laid back and a rare gem in today's world! We vacation there every September when the crowds leave the island.

Inappropriate? Alert us.

Reply Post new

wireless.phil April 02, 2011 at 6:07PM

Follow

Real nice story, almost makes me want to move there.

Inappropriate? Alert us.

Reply Post new

Very simple approach to choosing your investment property...

http://agents.ownamerica.com/fe/9202

Hey Everyone,

Here's what Rusty Chinnis has to report  about fishing in the "The Sun" this week...

This is not just another fish story...

reel time

The secret to fishing

PHOTO/RUSTY CHINNIS
When you understand the secret to fishing, magic can happen!

REEL TIME By Rusty Chinnis

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten about fishing came from Captain Scott Moore. When he first told me, "Fish move around," the statement seemed self evident, but over time the implications became more nuanced. Another piece of fishing wisdom was gleaned from Captain Rick Grassett in his statement, "You don't know until you go." If there is a secret to fishing I think these two seasoned guides summed it up.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column about the unseasonably warm weather we've been having and asked the question, "Are we getting a spring break"? A couple of weeks later I was wondering if the warming waters might mean an early migration of seasonal species like king mackerel, Spanish mackerel and cobia. To check out my idea I called Captain Justin Moore, an Anna Maria guide I knew had his ear to the ground when it came to local fish. Justin is the son of Captain Scott Moore and shares his father's uncanny sense of understanding fish behavior and leading clients to impressive catches. When I talked to Justin, he told me that although the waters in the Gulf had warmed, we were still in a winter pattern.

That conversation made me curious about what exactly goes on with fish migrations, and what factors effect their movements to near shore and inshore waters. What I discovered by talking to the Moores and several other local guides began to make sense and matched my experiences over the years. In a nutshell, it seems that truly migratory, pelagic fish depend more on length of day than they do the water temperature. If you think about it, it make sense. A warm up in early March can quickly turn around with a big cold front, plunging water temperatures. Fish that winter in the Gulf waters will follow bait school on the warm ups, but fish like king mackerel seem more likely to take their cues from the length of day. While that might be a general rule, it also seems that it's a play between temperature and the availability of a food source.

Captain Ray Markham fishes Tampa Bay and Terra Ceia Bay and when I asked his opinion he responded with the obvious statement that as days get longer, the waters will have a much better chance of warming up. More sunshine, warmer water. He had seen Spanish mackerel in the bay already, feeding on schools of glass minnows that had moved in with the warming water temperatures. The same was true with tarpon that began to show up on the Skyway and in the upper bay when the water temperatures approached 70 degrees. When the water temperatures cooled a couple of weeks ago, the bait and fish disappeared. When the water warmed up recently, they returned. As we approach late March, the water temperatures have warmed up again and with the warming trend the bait has returned to the beaches and bays as have the predator fish. Spanish mackerel have arrived following schools of glass minnows and kingfish, and cobia are on the beaches in hot pursuit of schools of threadfin herring.

If there's a lesson in this, it has to be the obvious statements that Moore and Grassett made about fish moving around and not knowing if they'll be there if you don't go. Fishing varies with the season, tides, water temperatures and it seems, most importantly with the availability of a food source. The most interesting part is the changeability of it all. While there are patterns that we can depend on to a degree, the only way to know is to go. Weather patterns, winds, cloud cover and innumerable factors we'll never know play into the equation.

Just last week I made a trip to Pine Island Sound in search of tarpon with Captain Joe Harley (www.snooktown.com). The date was chosen well in advance with the hope that conditions would be good, the weather warm and the tarpon would be present and feeding. As it turned out the stars aligned, and we found large numbers of tarpon on the flats. I managed to get lots of shots, got 9 to 10 jumps out of two big fish and had another bite, all on fly. The odd part was that Harley reported that although the weather had remained warm and stable, the tarpon fishing was not nearly as good the two following days he fished for them. In the end the lesson is to know, as Scott related, that fish move around. Armed with that information, go out and find out because as Grassett related, "You don't know until you go." Therein lies the secret to fishing.

La Casa Costiera -

a bit of Italy on the Island...

SUN PHOTO/LOUISE BOLGER
La Casa Costiera, a boutique luxury condominium in
Holmes Beach, brings Italy's Amalfi coast to the Island.
By Louise Bolger | sun staff writer


Have you been to the Amalfi Coast or as the Italians call it Amalfi Costiera? If not, you'll be happy to learn that without packing a bag or buying an airline ticket you can have that glorious Mediterranean experience right in your own back yard.

I last profiled La Casa Costiera at 73 Street and Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach about two years ago, midway between the real estate downturn and the beginning of the recovery. Since this boutique luxury condominium embodies much of what Anna Maria Island is all about, I decided to take another look.

La Casa Costiera is a really unique 12 unit complex directly on the Gulf with a wide expanse of beach at its door. The upscale development was designed by the talented Emily Anne Smith and built by Brent Whitehead, both of whom have done many projects on Anna Maria. Architectural features include arches, interior columns and high ceilings with each unit having a different design and the feel of a home rather than a condo with windows on most sides.

Interior amenities include granite counter tops, wet bars, wine coolers, surround sound, elevators, electric fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs, but it's the exterior location that makes La Casa Costiera special. Six of the twelve units have direct water views from their Gulffront terraces or balconies. Two of these are ground level stand alone buildings built on the footprint of what was once part of a Gulffront motel.

The remaining six units front on Gulf Drive with a pool, spa, gazebo and barbeque area separating it from the Gulffront buildings. The units have about 2,000 square feet, most with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, all have balconies and/or terraces. Parking is assigned under building and rentals are permitted.

La Casa Costiera was built in 2005 with units selling between $1,300,000 and $1,560,000. There were no sales in 2010 and currently there are four on the market with local brokers ranging between $1,299,000 and $1,899,000, some being sold furnished and professionally decorated.

For buyers looking for Gulffront luxury who want the feel of a home without the responsibility, La Casa Costiera could be the perfect choice and an opportunity to buy at 2005 prices.

Sunny Italy and sunny Anna Maria have a lot in common. Only the blue waters of Anna Maria can be reached without going through airport security. La Casa Costiera – the Amalfi Coast barefoot style.

Call Kathleen (941-773-0165) for sales info about LaCasa Costiera.

Captains' reports

Grouper more tolerant of cold... 

PHOTO/CAPTAIN LARRY MCGUIRE
Joe Pasuit and Craig Parsons, from Lake Orion, Mich.,
and Lois Farrell, and Laura Farrell, from Tampa,
with their catch of grouper reeledin while fishing
with Captain Larry McGuire.

Captain Tom Chaya

Water temperatures are hovering in the 50s for the past several weeks, making it the one of the coldest Decembers on record. This will restrict what types of species to target. Grouper were a bit more tolerant with good catches from 50 to 60 feet. Water was a bit churned up and the best baits were dead sardines and octopus. You may have to work an area much longer to get a bite going in these temperatures. In the bay you will have to look for the most protected areas. Big trout will fall into deep holes and you may have some great rallies. Small reds can get packed around docks. Bluefish are probably the most cold water tolerant of all species. They can be found tight and roaming the beaches. Another main key to a bit more success is slowing everything down to a snail's pace, especially working jigs and other artificials. Give your areas a bit more time to produce. This can be very difficult when you have success-hungry tourists on a half day charter.

Captain Mark Howard

The wintertime fishing pattern is in full effect and the redfish are being very cooperative. On a recent charter with islander Doug Terry and his son in law, Nick, they were able to land redfish to 13 pounds fishing tight to deep water docks. The bait of choice was select live shrimp or two small ones rigged tandem on the hook with a split shot – ie a lot of meat on the hook. The extra low tides will also provide excellent opportunities to wade fish for redfish and speckled trout. On the extreme low tides, wade to the potholes on the flats surrounded with exposed sea grass. Using artificial baits or live shrimp slowly work your rig into the pothole for fishing in a barrel action.

Sheephead fishing is starting to come on and will only get better as the wintertime pattern advances. Remember speckled trout fishing season opens on Jan. 1. This past year bodes well for the speckled trout season as my parties have been having a banner year catching a lot of oversized ones. Tight lines and have a safe and fun filled holiday.

Captain Larry McGuire

We are celebrating happy holidays with gag grouper gone wild. Show Me The Fish Charter parties are catching limit catches of gag grouper for Christmas, then heading further offshore to catch red, black and scamp grouper, mangrove snapper and amberjack. This week the grouper action started out in about 50 feet and on any rock pile and ledge out past that. Amberjack are going strong out around 115 feet. Large live baits like pinfish, sandperch and grunts are producing the larger fish. This time of year we have to be flexible and fish in between the cold fronts, and you could have a trip of a lifetime.

Captain Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing the ICW near Venice with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook and trout on an evening trip last week. I also had fast action with trout in Palma Sola Bay when I fished a day with my friend Steve Gibson.

Longtime friend and customer David Schofield, from Sarasota, and his son Mike, from New York City, fished lighted docks and bridge fenders in the ICW near Venice with me on Wednesday evening. I was monitoring water temperature all week and was cautiously optimistic. Sunny afternoons warmed the water a few degrees this week and fish responded favorably. They caught and released five snook to 22 inches and an 18-inch trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Although there weren't a lot of snook in the lights, we found them actively feeding in a couple of spots.

The next day I was the guest of Steve Gibson, of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing, to do some kayak fishing. We fished Palma Sola Bay and had fast action with numerous trout to 22 inches and a few small reds and flounder on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails. Gibby can be reached at www.kayakfishingsarasota.com .

Next week's tides and weather should improve towards the end of next week. With a strong front pushing through this weekend, conditions may be windy and cool for a couple of days. Afternoons may fish better due to warmer water. Fish jigs and flies slow and close to the bottom for the best action. Happy holidays to everyone!