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Arizona lures friend
By MIKE SCARANTINO Good bye, "Johnny Lures." A friend and angling buddy, John Capozzi, is off to another chapter in his fishing life. He is leaving for Lake Havasu, Ariz., which stretches about 45 miles and is full of largemouth and striped bass. Retired from the military with a disability suffered in Vietnam, Capozzi has nothing disabled about his angling prowess. He has lived and fished in this part of Florida for 28-plus years. Other angling excursions have taken him to far parts of the globe. Capozzi is not a native Floridian. His accent and actions are northern. But his recollections and love of this part of the southeast reflect a time long past -- a period when local roads were mostly dirt and U.S. 19 was nothing more than a tiny transit from Pinellas County north to the country. Capozzi has loved the fishing life he has led here, but a job transfer for his wife, Carol, is forcing their move. Angling and children draw tremendous passion from Johnny Lures, though he is not a father. There is a true love that exudes from him when around the two. Brusque in nature and sometimes vocal beyond tolerance, Capozzi's large heart is what those who care to find. No one I know other than John can run off at the mouth about fishing like he can, then prove nearly every point he makes. His level of confidence is as huge as his heart. Often he can be found challenging people to fish competitively, and he wins enough to remain respectable. Capozzi is the kind of angler who will arrive at a spot, cast his offering and find a catch -- even when those around him go fishless. Lures are his favorites, though he is no purist. The only thing that matters to Johnny Lures is catching something. "I've never caught a fish I didn't like, and I've caught many," Capozzi said. Moving day for the Capozzis is May 30. To make certain of fond rememberances, he, his wife and I scheduled two days of flats fishing. We fished the first day the morning after the new moon, hoping to get a good midday window of opportunity. John was in search of redfish and trout. Our last trip focused on snook, but since they are out of season, he figured on leaving them to their mating ritual undisturbed. High tide peaked at 1:15 p.m. The height reached 3.7 feet, then dropped to a negative low by dark. Our window of opportunity opened approximately two hours before the high. When we are together, we never leave the dock much later than dawn. John and Carol enjoy catching bait with me. Those quiet moments we spend together are invaluable -- a time of day when everything moves slow and easy. We set anchor that morning and watched as the light grew from a dim glimmer to bright and beautiful. As the sky became higher, the wind freshened from the south and made the heat tolerable. In the live well were two size baits. Some were large, and mixed in were smaller ones for chumming. We didn't have a clue about how hungry the fish might be, but they had to work against strong incoming and outgoing tides. Our hope was that all that expended energy would excite their metabolisms. A trip with the Capozzis always is exciting. They never expect any returns. They go through the day enjoying their time onboard, working for good fish. Then, whatever happens, happens. There never is any pressure. John had expressed his desire to take home a few fish for the fryer. That was the reason for targeting trout and reds. Capozzi begins his time at every spot working an artificial. Then, if the fish are eating live baits, he will switch. In the deeper grassy areas, he started off trying a brightly colored swimming plug. In the shallow rocky locations, he worked gold spoons. In both spots, he eventually switched to live baits and caught his quarry. His wife fished live baits all day and did quite well. Carol caught most of the larger trout. John wanted to give his new Christmas road and reel a workout. He targeted redfish and won. Two were well over the slot limit and had to go back. One barely met the 18-inch requirement and was returned. The last fish of the day was a fine 25-inch specimen Capozzi invited home for supper. The first day of our final two was a huge success. It will live as a fond memory of one of my most unforgettable characters, Johnny Lures. -- If you have a question or comment, call Capt. Mike Scarantino, (352) 683-4868.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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