# Attention ALL kayak fisherman!!



## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Your input is needed here:
http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f25/standby-important-announcement-287353/

This proposed reef off of Navarre Beach will give kayakers perhaps the WORLDS BEST artificial reef program to fish over. Its distance from either pass will mean relatively few boats compared to the complexes off of Ft. Pickens, Okaloosa Island and Destin. 

Fewer boats of course means a safer place for us to fish plus a better fishery overall compared to those hard hit reefs.

Not to mention, Navarre Beach already has become THE offshore kayak fishing destination along the Gulf Coast. Due to our relatively close proximity to the edge we get several pushes of "blue water" fish every year. This reef complex will attract tons of bait which will in turn not only attract the expected reef species but I imagine could attract many pelagics as well.

Guys and gals, this is OUR chance to push for OUR sport in OUR area. I hope to see yall there!!


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## xl_bandit (Aug 30, 2009)

Sounds Awesome..


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

AWESOME! I'm in Miami or I would be there. Gonna try to find an email addy to send my opinion to. Guys, share this on FB. Get the word out.


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## 706Z (Mar 30, 2011)

Dang,now I gotta buy a FREAKIN KAYAK!!


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Guys, we'd love to see you there. Even if you dont have kayak and you can see how this reef would be money well spent for Navarre Beach and Santa Rosa County as a whole, come on down!


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Sent it to Kayak Fishing magazine. Hopefully they will spread it around on FB.


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## pompano67 (Oct 28, 2013)

See ya'll there!!!


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## KingCrab (Apr 29, 2012)

Boats will be there in droves. U cant stop them. Even if it said no boats, They don't care. Ask pier fishermen. They will drive in their boats up to the beach to go fish there, Not their cars , Boats. Its a right of passage to them. Got the whole gulf of Mexico, Nope, Want to go & fish right there.:whistling: Cause they can.:thumbdown: I can do a lot of things I shouldn't.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

KingCrab said:


> Boats will be there in droves. U cant stop them. Even if it said no boats, They don't care. Ask pier fishermen. They will drive in their boats up to the beach to go fish there, Not their cars , Boats. Its a right of passage to them. Got the whole gulf of Mexico, Nope, Want to go & fish right there.:whistling: Cause they can.:thumbdown: I can do a lot of things I shouldn't.


Of course boats can go there, and thats cool. However, not many boats are going to run 20-25+ miles from either pass to fish in 60ft of water on a public wreck. 

There are tons of boats that hit up the complexes off of Pickens, Okaloosa Island and Destin because they are so close to the pass. I imagine that this reef will receive far less pressure from boaters and more pressure from kayak anglers.

Unlike boaters who may fish this reef, kayakers will actually be coming through Navarre and Santa Rosa County exclusively when they fish this reef bringing more dollars to the immediate area, thus making this reef actually worth the money spent on it.


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## HAG 90 10 (Nov 24, 2007)

The proposed changes to the park will be outstanding for kayakers. Hopefully the Navarre Beach Park Gulf side Walkover won't have the 90 degree and stairs at the end. Pensacola's boardwalks make dragging a kayak to the beach easy. 

http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/Santa_Rosa_FS.pdf


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Jason, I'll be getting wet in the gulf FINALLY after hunting season!!! Looking forward to my 1st season in the new YAK!!!!


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Jason said:


> Jason, I'll be getting wet in the gulf FINALLY after hunting season!!! Looking forward to my 1st season in the new YAK!!!!


We'll see yall out there.

If you can make it Monday come on over. Imagine having a reef with 700, yes 7-HUNDRED pyramids all within yakking distance, 25 miles from either pass in some of the most productive waters along the northern Gulf Coast. It has some EPIC potential. :thumbup:

Some people say, "Well Jason you want this to help your business."

In truth I actually think it could hurt my business because most people hire me to fish bottom spots away from all of the boats. I imagine I can lose some costumers to this, however, I really love kayak fishing and something like this will not only help our growing sport grow even larger/faster, it can help put Navarre on the map for the ultimate kayak fishing destination in the South East. 

I'm thinking a few years down the line when these reefs are good and lively, imagine having an epic mackerel/reef fish shotgun style tourney off Navarre Beach like they do down in Pompano Beach. This reef can lead to so many good things for us kayak fisherman as well as Navarre Beach!


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Flat line out for kings while you can drift more than. 50 yards for bottom fish. Sign me up!


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

This sounds great I am in.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Alright guys, meeting is tomorrow. Who is in?! Anyone up to meet up an hour or two before hand?


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

JD, or anyone that attends I would really appreciate a summary of how it goes


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Is no news good news?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Not many of us showed up. We got demolished by the bird watchers and other tree huggers. Heck even organizations representing people with physical and mental disabilities were more represented then us. 

However, we have until the 19th to submit comments. In the next few days Jay and I as well as others are trying to set up some talking points for us to all send in comments.


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## GAjohn (May 23, 2012)

Would've been there if I were in Pcola...this would just give me another reason to come down and fish Navarre.


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

What was the argument against it?


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Not really anyone against it, just not many people for it were there.


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## Disco (Aug 21, 2013)

JD7.62 I'm glad we have you there as a spokesman. I won't make any excuses other than I couldn't be there. And you mentioned something about people saying something about you only wanting it to come through because it'll be good for your business... whoever would say that should get bent. I didn't realize that wanting to do better for yourself was a crime too many people seem to have forgotten that this nation was founded on capitalism. I hope it works out and you get more business than you can handle.


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## JD7.62 (Feb 13, 2008)

Unfortunately I wasnt able to speak. After being there for 3 hours I had to leave. It was a much larger turn out then expected. MANY projects were gone over.

I hope in the next day or two we can get some talking points together so we all can email them with our own message.


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

The problem was that there were two meeting scheduled right at the peak of the winter storm last week - then they CNX the one in Panama City, so EVERYONE showed up at Pensacola for the only public meeting on the entire NRDA Phase III Proposal. 

A good meeting was held yestersday with the 5 county reef coordinators, FDEP, FWC and at least one trustee. I briefed Snata Rosa's two projects and Robert Turpin briefed Escambia's. Note that there seemed to be agreement to work from West to East (Most effected Counties to Least) pertaining to the NRDA Phase III EIS submissions. 

There will be another meeting in about three weeks with the same group to start walking (military term is ROC Drill) the processes out so we all know how and when Cost, Schedule, Performance will work and where the State oversight and County controls kick in. We left with a agreement to work together as there may be as many as 4000-5000 reefs in the 5 counties and we have to figure out the process and way ahead to schedule.

More later.
Stressless


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## Blake R. (Mar 17, 2009)

Stressless, you are the MAN!


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## BlackJeep (Jun 13, 2010)

Where can we read about the proposals submitted for the other counties? Except for the 4000-5000 total reefs figure I haven't seen details of what's proposed per county.


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## HAG 90 10 (Nov 24, 2007)

*Thank You!*

*Draft Programmatic and Phase III Early Restoration Plan and Draft Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement*


*Your comments were successfully submitted at 08:08 AM, February 09, 2014 Mountain Time*

ProjectWH NRDA Early RestorationDocumentraft Programmatic and Phase III Early Restoration Plan and Draft Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Organization:Resident of Santa Rosa County Comments:I went to the meeting in Pensacola FL on 3 Feb 14 and would like to support the boards efforts to restore wildlife habitat. I support the near shore and offshore reefing projects for Santa Rosa county. I also support additional boardwalks for the community, both the sound side and Gulf of Mexico walkovers. This will give beachgoers an avenue to the water and further protect the grasses, sea oats and dunes. One suggestion for the proposed gulf side walkover would be to have a straight "ramp" to facilitate access to the beach. The proposed walkover could be utilized by persons with disabilities, kayakers, and beachgoers much more effectively than the current boardwalks walkovers.

Several groups opposed these projects. The Audubon society had the largest turnout and were most vocal. They oppose the destruction of bird habitat. These boardwalks should help protect bird habitats by giving people a path to the water instead of trampling through "habitat" to get there. The next group were environmentalist groups, of course they go hand in hand with the Audubon society. They oppose spending money on anything but improving water and sea grasses. They were all over the proposed hatchery. It's not too late to submit comments, you have until 19 Feb. 

http://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration/early-restoration/phase-iii/


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## Jgatorman (Jun 8, 2013)

Any word yet on this proposal?


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