Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida • 42

1 Til ir ri iiir a ai iM i ot nA4 Outdoors South Florida is not up to l-A standards Ill Northwestern's Rashidi Wheeler collapsed and died earlier this month. EXTRA a7t, -a i KMX pits predator vs. prey yjf. Special to the Times Island of the Sharks shows from beneath how sharks, such as this hammerhead, and other large fish attack schools of small baitfish. The University of South Florida football team is busy practicing twice a day in preparation for its Division I-A debut Aug.

30. But you'd never know that from the school's official site. In the past four months, the Bulls' online home (usf.edu athletics) has seen its production company fold and another choice was deemed too expensive. As a result, the site looks nearly abandoned. "We're not real happy where we're at," USF sports information director John Gerdes said last week.

"It's a legitimate concern. We've dropped the ball somewhat" When the site posted the school's men's basketball schedule Wednesday, it was the second news story added in two months. When you get to the main page, through a link on usf.edu, it offers little more than links to team schedules and local newspaper coverage, and the only "team link" Usted is the sailing team, with the rest of the athletic department left in its wake. If you can find the football team's page, the latest story is from April. A promising link to an "updated depth chart" is actually from the third week of last season, and the site's link to the official Conference USA page is dead, unchanged since C-USA shifted from to in June 2000.

(Two other C-USA schools, Army and DePaul, also have outdated links.) USF's site has been in transition since Rivals.com, which had produced it, folded in April. USF got a trial month from fans only.com, which is the Internet's largest network of college sites, interlinking 114 universities, including nine from C-USA When that month was up, USF was offered two packages: a three-year contract at $15,000 a year, or a short-term deal at $500 a week. USF stayed with fansonly.com for a month before bringing the site in-house in June. Since then, little has been done with the site because of a "staffing issue," but Gerdes said the school will have an improved site up by Labor Day at gousfbulls.com. Other schools have handled the transition more seamlessly.

Central Florida was with fans Bprtna Hill Take a walk along the beach at dawn, look across the water and you will see bait roiling at the surface. I Are those tiny fish: A) Happy? B) Getting some exercise? C) Runr ning from predators? 4 If you answered you are probably a fisherman. Then again, I you may have seen Island of the 'Sharks, an IMAX movie that opened Friday at Channelside Cin- emas in Tampa. As the title implies, there are i plenty of sharks: hammerheads, whitetips and silkies that feed in the water surrounding Cocos Is- land, located about 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. While most of the shark foot-J age is nothing new (just tune in to Shark Week on the Discovery Channel), the shots of these pred-l ators ripping apart bait pods is nothing short of extraordinary.

Anglers view bait from above. They ma see a bird dive into the school, but what is taking place below the water is seldom seen except by the occasional diver. But Island of the Sharks offers a glimpse at the relationship be tween prey and predator as thou- atsands of baitfish whirl themselves into a ball for safety, trying to avoid the jaws of the sharks. If you are a fisherman, diver or just love the ocean, the three minutes of film showing sharks, bill-fish and sea lions feeding is well worth the price of admission. SCALLOP SEARCH: Old-timers can remember the days when Tampa Bay supported a thriving recreational and commercial scallop fishery before unregulated development and pollution in the 1950s and '60s all but wiped out the shellfish.

But bay water quality is improving, and scallops are back. You can do your share by next weekend's Great Bay Scallop Search sponsored by BayWatch and the Tampa Bay "Estuary Program. Boat captains 'iind volunteer snorkelers are j'needed at 9 a.m. Saturday. Orga-''fiizers need 40-50 boats and 200 ''volunteers to search sites in Low-''ct Tampa and Boca Ciega bays.

are required. Call 1)(V27) 896-5320. r. BARRACUDA SPECIAL Some of CALENDAR Hill I ll I MHI IN IMjjW I I IHIjUMH IIIPH 1 I GREG AUMAN SUXFIN' THE NET only.com and opted to bring its site in-house, but has shown a greater attention to keeping the site updated, with 12 stories added in the past week. One site benefiting from USF's down time is a fan site that has seen its traffic surge about double from this time last year.

"The traffic is better than ever," said Orlando's Brad Meyer, who has operated his site for two years at a cost of about $90 a month. "I think I'm about the only option right now." Meyer, who has posted dozens of pictures from football media day and had a media credential for games last season, admits USF doesn't have a strong online following. The message boards at his site have 127 registered members, and by comparison, when USF played Kentucky in football last fall, he found a Kentucky site with about 1,000 fans registered. GET 'EM, LING LING: Where does the Internet side in the battle between the World Wrestling Federation and World Wildlife Fund over their shared initials and the rights to wwf.com? Type What is the WWF? into askjeeves.com and the first five links are wrestling-related. But try the same at google.com and the first 19 links are wrestler-free.

The tiebreaker? Sorry, pandas, but AOL users who try keyword WWF have The Rock staring them down. TID-BYTES: ESPN.com's Page 2 section has a separated-at-birth feature, which suggests a likeness between Rays closer Esteban Yan and Bucs receiver Keyshawn Johnson. The telltale difference, of course, is that local fans actually want to see the ball in Johnson's hands late in a game. If you have a question or comment about the Internet or a site to suggest, e-mail staff writer Greg Auman at aumansptimes. com.

SEVEN i i i $17.50 $12.50 Call lor Tee times 352-688-8888 rfto II! If toms vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and nausea usually occur within three to five hours of ingestion, but neurological symptoms may recur for months and years. In Florida, most cases of ciguatera occur in the Keys. According to the Florida Marine Research Institute, there has never been a case of ciguatera in local waters. To learn more, go to www.florida-marine.org. RACE CANCELED: The Suncoast Offshore Grand Prix, the longest-running race on the American Power Boat Association's Offshore circuit, will not run in 2002.

Officials with APBA Offshore, the sanctioning body headquartered in St Petersburg, said they asked local race officials to shorten the course from 13 miles to 5 or 6 because a long course is unsafe for drivers and marine life. APBA chairman Michael Allweiss said the race scheduled for St Petersburg in October will go on as planned. TERRY TOHALIN OUTDOORS EDITOR the divers competing in Friday's St. Pete Open Spearfishing Tournament brought more than snapper and grouper to the weigh-in. Barracuda, the nemesis of tournament fishermen, is a popular target for spearfishermen.

But don't think these fish are being killed and discarded. Small barracuda caught in local waters have long been a favorite food for anglers and divers. Barracuda, however, also have been implicated in ciguatera poisoning. Ciguatera, the most common nonbacterial, fish-borne poisoning in the United States, is caused by eating fish that feed on and around coral reefs. The symp- DAILY tapes raise new questions in death Times wires CHICAGO Videotapes of the workout at which Rashidi Wheeler collapsed and died earlier this month pro-nfll I FfiF vide vivid images Jri of Wheelers FOOTBALL struggles that day and new details that likely will heighten the debate over the school's actions.

The tapes appear to reinforce the allegation that the drill was conducted outside of NCAA regulations on preseason workouts, even though no coaches were on hand. The senior safety is seen wobbling, then dropping to his hands and knees, unable to complete his wind sprints. The tapes also show the workout continuing under the direction of Northwestern staff members even after an ambulance arrived, and even as some of the players held hands and bowed their heads on the sideline while paramedics tried to resuscitate Wheeler. In addition to recording those final moments, the tapes contain other images perhaps just as important: a regimented series of sprints monitored by trainers with clipboards and a stopwatch on a university athletic field. NCAA rules dictate that voluntary workouts are not to be "recorded for the purpose of reporting such information to coaching staff members or other student-athletes," so the mere existence of the tapes adds to the debate over the propriety of the Aug.

3 workout GEORGIA: Running back Verron Haynes became the fourth suspended player for the Sept. 1 opener against Arkansas State. Haynes entered a guilty plea last week to three misdemeanor charges stemming from an argument with the mother of his child. Previously suspended for disciplinary reasons were tight end Randy McMichael, defensive end Charles Grant and cornerback Tim Wan-sley. MINNESOTA: A 19-year-old student who said she was raped by two players now says she wrote and typed a paper on the death penalty for one of them the day she was assaulted at an apartment.

The woman made the new allegation in an interview reported Saturday by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. University president Mark Yu-dof said school officials will investigate whether Mackenzy Toussaint had the woman do course work for him, which would be a violation of university rules. Toussaint, 20, a sophomore defensive back from Miami, and Steven Watson, 19, a defensive end from Defiance, were charged Wednesday with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct and were suspended from the team. The allegation comes 10 months after the university received major sanctions by the NCAA for widespread academic fraud including having course work written and typed for men's basketball players. Neither Toussaint nor his attorney could be reached for comment.

OHIO STATE: The mother of coach Jim Tressel died of pancreatic and liver cancer. Eloise Tressel was 76. WEST VIRGINIA: First-year coach Rich Rodriguez said he plans to let senior Brad Lewis, last year's starting quarterback, run the offense again this season. You can call the referral service 24 hours, 7 days for a personal injury lawyer. All accidents, Injury, wrongfuf death claims, nursing home abuse claims.

Auto Bike Bar Condo Shopping Workers' Comp Golf Digest 3 Star Rating GOLFERS CLUB he combination of strong tides, excessive bait and warm When Booking Your Tee Time Request The SIIRJf eUlCEl CI77I CD DRPIf APC FISHING REPORT CAP! DAVE ZALEWSKI wwiiiiiii.Ii wn fci.il Includes Lunch, Range Balls Golf Pack of balls, tees, ball repair tool. Good while supply lasts) 18 Holes AM PM 18 Holes AM PM water slowed bottom fishing, especially for grouper, almost to a stop last week. We were forced to target cooperative species such as mackerel, mangrove snapper and barracuda. $10.50 I Call for Tee times 352-683-2261 MNE) uner exPlres wnuui imoi vaiia witn any otner discountspromotions pfnn 30 minute drive from Tampa via Suncoast Pkwy. Large schools of Spanish mackerel have shown up in several areas and depths.

They can be seen crashing into masses of small baitfish within 30 yards of the beach near any pass. These fish are accessible to boaters trolling small spoons and to anglers who wade to the first sandbar and cast small spoons (No. 0 or 00). Mixed with the Spanish are ladyfish, jack creval-le and occasional bluefish. The hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are best to target these beach fish.

All the artificial reefs are holding decent numbers of mackerel and some large barracuda, which often make their presence known by cutting a hooked mackerel in half. Have a stinger rig ready for barracuda, and when a mackerel is boated rig it live with a live-bait hook through the nostril and one or two treble hooks dangling along the bait Trolling around area wrecks has produced barracuda, Spanish mackerel, bonito and a few king mackerel. Capt Dave Zalewski charters the Lucky Too out of Madeira Beach and can be reached at (727) 397-881 5 or by -mail at Luckytoo2aol.com. 1 mm I'd I 23! (phone numbers are 727 area code unless noted) Fishing TnDAY: 10th annual Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin Shootout, Gators 4on the Pass, Treasure Island, 363-0071. SJESDAY: Spring Hill Fishing Club meeting, Senior Citizens all, Susan Drive, Weeki Wachee, (352) 592-8688.

'YhURSDAY: Saltwater Fly Fisherman monthly meeting, Clear- 'water, 443-5000. 'UPCOMING: Eighth annual Bill Currie Jr. Fall Ladies Classic, 'Sept. 7-8, Tierra Verde Resort, Tierra Verde, benefits All Children Hospital, (813) 554-5342. UPCOMING: 13th annual Alafia River Catfish Tournament, 8, Williams Park, Tampa, (813) 671-6144.

lijPCOMING: Monthlong Snook Tournament, September, Hur- cane Pass Anglers Club, Ozona, 785-3018. Seminars TUESDAY: Redfish and snook fishing with Mike Heistand, Boater's World, De Soto Mall, Bradenton, (941) 747-8339. WEDNESDAY: Fly-casting, women only, Saltwater Fly fisherman, Clearwater, 443-5000. Tournamentinshore tactics with Jim Huddleston, World, Largo Mall, Largo, 584-8500. THURSDAY: Catching trout and redfish with artificial lures with' Bay McCullogh, BoatU.S., Clearwater, 573-2678.

'THURSDAY: Gator trout fishing with John Deliege, Boater's 'World, Clearwater, 726-7756. SATURDAY: Fly-casting, Bill Jackson's, St. Petersburg, '-576-4169. SATURDAY: Fly-casting, World Class Outfitters, (813) 968-3736. SATURDAY: Fly-casting, Saltwater Fly Fisherman, Clearwater, (443-5000.

Boating TUESDAY: Safe-boating course, St. Petersburg, 898-8774. WEDNESDAY: Boating skills and seamanship course, Tampa, (THURSDAY: Safe-boating course, Madeira Beach, 587-7873. JHURSDAY: Safe-boating course, St. Pete Beach, 867-3088.

THURSDAY: Evening race, Davis Islands, (813) 251-1 158. THURSDAY: Evening race, Treasure Island, 595-8206. THURSDAY: APBA Offshore National Championships planning meeting, Hilton, St. Petersburg, 823-7223. FRIDAY: Evening race, Clearwater, 447-6000.

FRIDAY: Twilight race, St. Petersburg, 822-3873. SATURDAY: Free kayak demo, Sweetwater Kayaks, Tierra Verde, 906-0708. SATURDAY: Discover sailing, Clearwater Community Center, Clearwater session consists of four Saturdays, 462-6368. 'SATURDAY: Bay race, Tampa, (813) 645-8377.

Miscellaneous i TODAY: Exercise walk, Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa, Florida Trail Association, (813) 920-0702. Boyd Hill Nature Park tram tour, 893-7326. I TUESDAY: Canoekayak trip, call for details, Florida Trail Association, (352) 637-2224. -SATURDAY: Guided hike, Brooker Creek Preserve, 943-4003. I SATURDAY: Weedon Island Preserve guided walk, 3 miles, Bservations required, 217-7208.

SATURDAY: Great Bay Scallop Search, Fort De Soto Boat Ramp, St. Petersburg, boat captains and snorkelers needed, Tampa BayWatch, 896-5320. UPCOMING: Spoil Island Cleanup, kayak out of Palm Harbor, -Aug. 26, Suncoast Sierra Club, 392-2821 jAJPCOMING: Exercise walk, Lettuce Lake Park, Tampa, 26, Florida Trail Association, (813) 920-0702. f- Send information to Outdoors, P.O.

Box 1 121, St Petersburg, FL .,33731. All items must be typed and arrive 10 days before the event. 'km mm, 1 TEMPERATURE AND TIDES WATER 87 0 Saturday at Clearwater Beach. High Low High Low Withlacoochse Rivor Ent Odor Key Bayport Tarpon, Anctata Rivar St. Joseph Sound Clearwater Indian Rocks Madeira Beach Cswy Johns Pass St.

Pete Beach Cswy Pass-a-Grille Gulfport St. Patanburg Pinellas Point EgmontKey Anna Maria, pier Bradenton Little Manatee River Gandy Bridge Courtney Campbell Pkwy Hillsborough Bay Safety Harbor High MARINE WEATHER Tampa Bay area Variable wind 5 to 10 becoming onshore 10 knots near the coast by afternoon. Seas less than 2 feet. Bay and inland waters mostly smooth. Scattered morning and late night showers and Call Toll-Free 1-800-426-7711 For Information and SUN AND MOON Sunrise a.m.

Sunset p.m. a.m. Moonset p.m. SOLUNARS Minor Major 5:30 a.m. 11:40 a.m.

5:50 p.m. Services Nearest You! iAAu, i- 4V IX fc.ti ITifi--1 fc 1 i 4. sV 4.