The desire to spread or scatter the ashes of a loved one in a special place is an ever increasingly popular choice. It is a dignified and simple alternative to the conventional funeral and iOutdoor can help you make arrangements with a captain and vessel to provide this service. A funeral at sea is a time honored tradition. It is less costly than a conventional funeral and in many ways is much more refined. We provide for a private charter to take up to 6 attendees out for the scattering in most major ports in Florida. If you are unable to go out to sea, one of our captains will take the cremated remains offshore and scatter the ashes for you. Unattended we provide a respectful, dignified sea scattering service locally in most major ports in Florida. Call iOutdoor and for availability and costs.
Orlando and the Deep Sea Fishing Charters can give you access to experience this Burial at Sea. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us and we can help.
Burial at Sea–Rules and Regulations.
Ocean Scattering… As no special permitting is required for this in Florida, you may also do the scattering yourself. There are certain requirements as set forth below for all ocean remains scattering. This is the actual Environmental Protection Agency rule on burial of human remains at sea.
(a) All persons subject to title I of the Act are hereby granted a general permit to transport human remains from the United States and all persons owning or operating a vessel or aircraft registered in the United States or flying the United States flag and all departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the United States are hereby granted a general permit to transport human remains from any location for the purpose of burial at sea and to bury such remains at sea subject to the following conditions:
(1) Except as herein otherwise provided, human remains shall be prepared for burial at sea and shall be buried in accordance with accepted practices and requirements as may be deemed appropriate and desirable by the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, or civil authority charged with the responsibility for making such arrangements;
(2) Burial at sea of human remains which are not cremated shall take place no closer than 3 nautical miles from land and in water no less than one hundred fathoms (six hundred feet) deep and in no less than three hundred fathoms (eighteen hundred feet) from (i) 27 deg.30’00” to 31 deg.00’00” North Latitude off St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral, Florida; (ii) 82 deg.20’00” to 84 deg.00’00” West Longitude off Dry Tortugas, Florida; and (iii) 87 deg.15’00” to 89 deg.50’00” West Longitude off the Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana, to Pensacola, Florida. All necessary measures shall be taken to ensure that the remains sink to the bottom rapidly and permanently; and
(3) Cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section provided that such burial shall take place no closer than 3 nautical miles from land.
(b) For purposes of this section and Secs. 229.2 and 229.3, land means that portion of the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured, as provided for in the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, which is in closest proximity to the proposed disposal site.
(c) Flowers and wreaths consisting of materials which are readily decomposable in the marine environment may be disposed of under the general permit set forth in this section at the site at which disposal of human remains is authorized.
(d) All burials conducted under this general permit shall be reported within 30 days to the Regional Administrator of the Region from which the vessel carrying the remains departed.
The following Notice to EPA is required to be filed within 30 days.
All burials conducted shall be reported within 30 days to the EPA Region in writing. The following information should be included and mailed or faxed to the appropriate Region. You can copy the information below or complete and print the Region 4 burial at sea form (PDF)
NAME OF DECEASED:
DATE OF BURIAL/SCATTER:
TYPES OF REMAINS:
Cremated ( )
Non-Cremated ( )
LOCATION OF BURIAL/SCATTER
Latitude:
Longitude:
Distance from shore: (minimum of 3 nautical miles)
Depth of water:
VESSEL NAME:
VESSEL POINT OF CONTACT
Name:
Phone:
PORT OF DEPARTURE:
FOR NON-CREMATED REMAINS
Did the remains appear to rapidly sink to the ocean floor? Yes ( ) No ( )
DIRECTOR OR PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR BURIAL ARRANGEMENTS
The Florida State Record for Cobia is 130 lb 1 oz, and was caught near Destin. No wonder Destin is the Cobia Capital of the World! Imagine a fish of that size! Cobia are some of the strongest fighting fish because of their beefy muscular make up and their innate tenacity. The Cobia is a powerful fish and a thrilling catch and is one of the most sought after game fish and once hooked the thrill really begins with line coming off a screaming reel and the angler unable to do anything but hang on! Cobia are considered an inshore/near shore species and sight fishing is the best method to find these tasty brawlers and works even better if your vessel is equipped with a tower or raised platform. Cobia can be found in all waters off of the coast of Florida and down into the Keys.
The appearance of the fish in local waters is temperature driven and most Cobia anglers start watching the water around mid March for the fish to show up. Cobia are generally found in near shore and inshore waters with inlets and bays – the fish like structure and are frequently found around buoys, pilings and wrecks in these areas. Cobia spawn in spring and early summer and can be found throughout the summer months. Experienced Cobia anglers will look for turtles, manta ray and floating debris to find Cobia- the fish enjoy the easy pickings from the rays as they dig up the bottom foraging for their own dinner.
Cobia are a versatile game fish caught on fly and spinning tackle both. They can be found in offshore waters, near shore waters and on the flats. So no matter what your equipment, type of boat or level of experience there is A COBIA IN YOUR FUTURE!
Best bait and tactics for catching Cobia.
The BEST TACTIC for hooking and catching Cobia it to BE PREPARED! Cobia have a reputation for being extremely finicky when it comes to live baits and lures so have several rods baited and standing by with a variety of offerings. Cobia frequently travel in at least pairs and sometimes threesomes – have several stout rods rigged and ready to go at the fish opportunity. Live crabs and small fish are good bait for cobia but eels and live pinfish and a variety of artificial baits work well especially bucktail combinations with plastic tails. My favorite bait for cobia is an artificial eel made of surgical tubing with a lead sinker at the head. Live baits for cobia include spot, menhaden, mullet, minnows, perch, eels, shrimp, crabs, and clams. These use of these live baits vary with season and location and only experience can tell you what to use and when. Keep bait near the surface or, if cobia are deeper, add just enough weight to get the bait down and still retain its movement. Medium to heavy tackle is generally a good idea to land these fish that average 30 pounds and as every true Cobia hunter knows can easily go over 60 pounds. Fishing for cobia along pilings with a weighted eel is a favorite tactic of experienced anglers.
Cast the reel so it drops alongside the pilling and drops down- if you don’t get a strike the first time keep trying until you have covered all angles before moving on.
A word of caution, Cobia are a tough hard fighting fish and large specimens when gaffed and boated have caused anglers to lose equipment, be injured and have damaged boats. Have a plan when you get that fish over the side- have a fish box open and ready and the decks cleared so you can easily in one coordinated move land the fish and move it to the fish box.
Good recipes for cooking and eating Cobia.
Cobia are excellent table fare and are also great raw for sushi or sashimi. It can also be used as a replacement for fish such as tuna, if people are looking for an environmentally sustainable alternative, as the texture and flavor are quite similar. Did you know that Cobia grows three times as fast as salmon and has been commercially produced in Asia, particularly in Taiwan where it is stocked in about 80% of ocean cages. Here are a few good Cobia recipes to try out- but nothing can beat a hot charcoal grill and a little Italian seasoning splashed on top!
Lemon Butter Cobia
Ingredients: 1 lb. cobia steaks 1/2 fresh lemon 1 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. Old Bay crab seasoning or equivalent
Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drain steaks and lay in a casserole dish coated with olive oil.
Squeeze lemon juice over steaks, coat with butter and sprinkle with seasoning.
Bake for 10 minutes or until fish is white on the outside and still slightly pink in the center.
Baked Cobia with Italian Herbs
Ingredients
1 lb. cobia steaks 1 cup crushed bread crumbs 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano 1/2 cup melted butter
Directions:
1. Rinse fillets and allow to drain in a colander. If necessary, blot away excess water with a paper towel.
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Dredge fillets in butter and roll in dry season mixture. Place fillets on a greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 375-degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes. The fish is cooked when it is white and flakes easily
The Snapper, particularly Red Snapper, is one of the most prized fish to catch in Orlando while Deep Sea Fishing. Not only is it known for its tasty meat but also for its display of strength in the fishing sports world. It thrives in abundance in the Orlando due to the favorable warmer climate and rich marine life in the area.
They key to successful Snapper Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean is a wide variety of bait. Remember that just like any game fish, Snappers are very discerning creatures, that one bait may not necessarily be effective the next time.
Of course, you can choose between artificial and live bait. It is observed, however, that Snappers take artificial baits with less vigor compared to natural bait. That is why, when choosing artificial lures, always bring along different kinds and sizes since Snappers to have a range of choices.
Although artificial baits nowadays may have the best in technological advancement, it doesn’t mean that live bait won’t do anymore. In fact, Tarpons respond the most to live baits. Snappers can eat absolutely almost anything although they have developed a preference for small fishes such as sardines and cigar minnow, and crustaceans. In fact, the Red Snapper derives its reddish tint from its diet of mostly shrimps.
In Orlando, Snappers can be caught in waters as deep as 30 feet to 300 feet. They tend to cluster at the bottom of the ocean and prefer rocky reefs, ridges and ledges, and artificial refuges such as shipwrecks and oil rigs. Make sure you observe the FWC regulations!
What Kind of Bait Do You Use? to Catch SNAPPER in the Gulf of Mexico.
What is Sea Sickness, Why Does it Happen, and How to Prevent It?
Sea sickness is a form of motion sickness and occurs after spending some time on a craft on water. This type of sickness is brought about by the rocking motion of the craft and is characterized by nausea and in extreme cases, vertigo. Some people are vulnerable to the condition after only a minor stimulus while some are immune, and others immune through exposure.
Causes or Triggers for Sea Sickness
Sea sickness is not a virus and is not infectious. There are some factors that can bring on sea sickness relatively quickly. These include going below deck for extended periods of time, looking through binoculars for long periods, and staring at objects your brain will interpret as stable (reading, needlework, and the like).
Preventing Sea Sickness
There are some methods to help deal with sea sickness without the use of medications. Here are some tips to help prevent sea sickness:
Staying busy and keeping your mind occupied like fishing.
Staying on deck in the fresh air.
Take deep breaths and drink plenty of water.
Don’t cruise on an empty stomach.
Try and sleep off the sickness.
Cruise in relatively calm waters.
Cruise in vessels equipped with stabilizers to help eliminate the rocking motion that causes sea sickness.
All of these tips will help distract your brain from the rocking motion. Keeping occupied is important as it helps trick the brain into believing that you are uncomfortable from the constant rocking motion of the vessel. The fresh air also helps eliminate the sickness rather than staying indoors or in your cabin the whole time. While it may also be best not to cruise on an empty stomach, it should be remembered that fatty and spicy foods are not the best type of food to stock on before going on a cruise as this can trigger sea sickness.
A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: Trolling, Kite fishing, or live-bait fishing. One end has a hole where the thread is placed while the other end is sharp to be able to penetrate the bait/lure body.
How to Rig the Bait
Of course, there are many different ways to rig your bait, lure, etc. In general, you have to understand that something that you are about to rig to the line. What is it made of? Does it have a head and a body? What is the shape and type of its head? These are just some of the things you have to deal with.
Learn when to use a leader and what leader to use. Select the bait or lure. Cut several pieces of bow string (or other sturdy string), prepare strings as many (or more than) as your lures/baits. Get some pieces of Dacron or similar material. Glue all these stuff together and use a rigging needle to stitch them securely, making sure to arrange them in such a way that you will maximize your chances of landing as many fish as you can.
There are needles readily available, though you can also make your own.
Making Your Own Rigging Needle
What you need is a piece of wire coat hanger, file, hammer, and a drill with a 1/8” drill bit. It is quite simple to improvise a rigging needle. First, untwist the coat hanger and cut off a 12” piece (make it shorter or longer, depending on your bait; 12” is good for rigging eels). Use a file to sharpen one end. Use the hammer to flatten the opposite end. Drill a hole in the flattened portion and that’s it – you’ve just finished making your own needle.
Mainly used in deep sea trolling, outriggers are a pair of long poles fitted on both sides of a boat that holds fishing lines away from the boat. It is usually made of fiberglass and aluminum, and is tilted at an angle between 70 to 80 degrees.
When being used, outriggers are lowered to an angle nearly the same level as the water’s surface. At the edge of each outrigger is a pulley with a cord, attached to which is a quick release clip that holds the fishing line. Once a fish strikes, the line is released so that it can be landed with the use of the traditional rod and reel.
Generally, outriggers improve the chances of a fish striking because not only does it allow the angler to cover more ocean space, it also permits the use of multiple lines. Because outriggers allow the use of multiple rods and reels, anglers can troll as many fishing lines as it may allow, thus, simulating a school of bait fish. It also allows the leader out of the water, thus, preventing bubbles that may scare the fish away.
Outriggers also hold the fishing lines at a distance from both sides of the boat, spreading the lines far enough to prevent the risk of tangling. With more lines in the water, the angler can set them at different distances and depths that can create a variety of natural patterns to increase the chances of a strike.
The shallow, rocky reefs are also home to many fish species, however, trolling in these grounds are dangerous. With the use of outriggers, the fishing boat can stay in the safe deeper water while the lures are positioned to graze the shallow waters.
When trying to land that trophy marlin or, if you are ambitious enough, a thousand-pounder, you need all the information and help that you could find. When trying to catch the marlin of your dreams, try using these lures.
1. Mold Craft Wide Range
What is so great about the Mold Craft Wide Range is that it can be used in a wide range (thus its name) of conditions and speed. Thus, it is a favorite among anglers who want to land the big fish because it can be used in rough waters. This feature is accomplished by the center hole and squared-off nose.
2. Pakula Lumo Sprocket
The Pakula Lumo Sprocket was designed mostly as a straight runner and has a very tight swimming action. Lures by Pakula were first marketed in Hawaii for many years before these were sold in Australia, then, and the rest of the world.
3. Mold Craft Super Chugger
One of the lures you really must have, the Mold Craft Super Chugger has a concave face that enables it to grab a gulp of air which it then lets out in a thick bubble stream. This lure also moves in a side-to-side wiggle so that it resembles the swimming movement of fish.
4. Joe Yee Super Plunger
The Joe Yee Super Plunger is among the most popular and most widely used plungers, worldwide. A favorite by many anglers, these lures have caught their fair share of thousand-pound marlins.
5. Marlin Magic Ruckus
Another favorite among anglers, the Marlin Magic Ruckus is among the most productive lures used for catching marlin.
Marlin is a prized game fish, mostly because it offers a big challenge to the angler as it fights long and hard.
1. By Peter Ganz
The Atlantic Blue Marlin caught by JPeter Ganz was estimated to be 1,400 lb. It was caught off the waters of the islands of Azores, a Portuguese archipelago – near the Faial Island. This fish was not hauled in but was tagged, revived, and released back to the waters. For sure, this fish is among the largest caught.
2. By Jacky Delbrel
Jacky Delbrel caught a 1,189 lb Atlantic blue marlin, again in the part of the Atlantic Ocean in Azores, near the island of Faial. This catch holds the IGFA 80-pound world record for Atlantic Blue Marlin.
3. By Jean-Paul Richard
A 1,157-lb Atlantic marlin was caught by Jean-Paul Richard in Madeira. Caught along with this thousand-pounder was slightly smaller thousand-pounder weighing 1,028 lbs.
4. By Jack Harrington
It was in June 26, 1974 that the first thousand-pounder marlin was caught off the Oregon Inlet by Jack Harrington. Among the largest caught to date, this is worth mentioning especially since not too many thousand pounders have been caught. This marlin weighed 1,142 lb.
5. By Tracy Melton
Tracy Melton caught an Atlantic marlin weighing 1,083 lbs in Madeira. It was caught with an 80-pound tackle.
Of course, there are also plenty of marlins caught that are not listed here but could be heavier than these. There are also talks of fish weighing as much as 2,000 lbs which were almost caught.
Another successful trip with happy customers. Matt Wood and his son had a blast both days. The father is currently leading the blackfin tuna division in the Destin Fishing Rodeo, which is a month long tournament. I would bet it is one of the largest in the nation with all the categories and entries throughout the month.
On October 15th and 16th we had the pleasure of taking out the father (Doc Matt) and son (young Matt) fishing duo for a couple of great trips. The two wanted to do a mixture of bottom fishing and trolling. The first day we focused on red snapper and king mackerel. While the second day we targeted red snapper, with the initial plan of adding amberjack in the mix. However, Mother Nature changed our plans for the second trip and we shifted our focus on triggerfish, instead of amberjack.
Young Matt caught his very first king mackerel on Friday and had a blast catching it. He easily caught his share of red snapper as well that day. On Saturday, he started us out with a bonus and his first 20 pound Blackfin Tuna. This fish gave him a fight, but was no match for Matt. Matt later earned the nickname of Trigger-Matt for catching over 10 keeper triggerfish.
Doc Matt was just as energetic as his son and caught his share of red snappers and king mackerel. His claim to fame moment came on Saturday while his son was winding in the tuna. We quickly threw out a second bait and Doc was hooked up. The fish fought hard and seemed to be bigger than the one his son was winding in. After, what seemed to be a long battle for Doc, we boated a 25.4 pound Blackfin Tuna. This fish was weighed and entered in to the Destin Fishing Rodeo (month long fishing tournament) and is currently leading the Charter Boat Blackfin Tuna division. He later caught a number of nice red snapper and a red grouper.
We can’t wait to take these two fishing fanatics out again. They never slowed down on their fishing, even when the sea conditions were rough Saturday morning. These two definitely caught enough fish to eat a few meals with plenty of family members.
Thank you again for sending us more great customers. Let me know if you need any further info. Please see attached photos. Have videos, but will have to edit before sending.
Cast the reel so it drops alongside the pilling and drops down- if you don’t get a strike the first time keep trying until you have covered all angles before moving on.
The Snapper, particularly Red Snapper, is one of the most prized fish to catch in Orlando while 
A rigging needle is simply a needle used for rigging bait to help aid on offshore fishing such as: 
Mainly used in 
1. Mold Craft Wide Range
