I confess: I am not a Florida native. My family moved here from Missouri back in the 1970s. Prior to our relocation, we were very avid recreational anglers who fished often and in many different lakes and rivers. If it swam in Missouri waters and would bite a hook, we probably caught it. We …
Did you miss the Radio WaterLine show on Saturday on 92.9 FM? I sure did! I’ve been doing a fishing radio show on Saturday mornings for almost…
With red tide giving us a much-needed reprieve in Southwest Florida, it’s a good time to think about the future. Red tides have occurred in Fl…
At times, I think we are going a little overboard. We have come up with numerous plans to protect out RV whether on the road or at home parked…
If you are a part-time beach dweller enjoying Southwest Florida for a few months a year, or a vacationer just trying to make a quick escape fr…
I am not a professional prognosticator, and I can’t read your palm. But I do believe I have a pretty good sense of which way the wind blows. T…
We’re having an odd winter, even for Florida. Temperatures have been mostly springlike, with just brief interludes of chillier weather. While …
Fish and game recipes are great, but it’s hard to make a dessert with tripletail or venison. Since most of us like a bit of something sweet to…
Reader photos
Lemon Bay Park is a 210-acre site hidden on the back streets of old Englewood, and it is a true gem in the community. Black mangroves, scrubby…
It’s easy to tell when sheepshead season arrives here in Southwest Florida: Air and water temperatures drop into the 60s and there is increase…
To Our Hunting and Fishing Friends:
Coming soon to our Manasota Key beaches: The Gulf of Mexico. Like it or not, if we don’t add more sand periodically, our beachfront homes and …
Coming soon to our Manasota Key beaches: The Gulf of Mexico. Like it or not, if we don’t add more sand periodically, our beachfront homes and …
Fish slime is slippery stuff, as can be attested by anyone who’s had a wiggly fish squirt from their grasp. But it turns out that fish slime a…
One of the comments we at Fishin’ Frank’s hear all the time is, “I’m from Up North and I have no idea how to fish here.” If you resemble that …
I look for things. It’s what I do. If we go for a walk together, you’ll probably have to slow down or else leave me behind. I can walk faster …
If you are a tournament angler, you probably feel like you’re relining your reels all the time. But if you’re a weekend angler, you may not re…
This week I ran into a captain friend of mine in Boca Grande. As we were talking, I told him I would be writing about sheepshead for this colu…
4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians were supposedly the first people to make New Year’s resolutions. They were also the first to have cel…
Peace River Wildlife Center has been located in Ponce de Leon Park since 1982, in a public park owned by the city of Punta Gorda. It was disco…
I find that quite a few of my customers have some confusion about the background checks performed by gun shops. First, it needs to be realized…
Many of you moved to Florida seeking a warm place in the tropics. Our state meets that description, most of the time. But when I woke up Monda…
One of the most basic truths of life is that you can never make everyone happy. No matter what you do, there is bound to be someone who finds …
Last week we discovered that there are at least 279 species of fish which have been documented in the Charlotte Harbor estuary system. This in…
There are many ways to enjoy nature. You might be simply awed by the beauty of scenery or the colors, shapes, interactions or behaviors of pla…
How many fish do we need to keep? How many acres do we need to clear? What do we have if we harvest every fish, build out every lot and pave e…
It’s too early to make accurate predictions, but I’m optimistic for our new decade. Our waters are improving and showing signs of new life. I’…
Reader photos
Many of you are originally from areas of the country where it gets cold. Really cold — snow and ice cold. If you’re in that club, you may rega…
Well, we survived the holidays again. Some of us skated through with no trouble. Others got into political debates while the kids were unwrapp…
A question I get quite frequently at the bait shop, especially from people that are new to braid, is if they really need to use a leader. Abso…
For many years, spotted seatrout have been one of the most popular gamefish in Southwest Florida. Seatrout, along with snook and redfish, are …
I confess: I am not a Florida native. My family moved here from Missouri back in the 1970s. Prior to our relocation, we were very avid recreat…
Soft plastic baits are made in a seemingly never-ending array of colors and patterns. Look at bait maker Zoom. They have 421 different color c…
When it comes to catching fish, you have to think like one. And, if you want to catch fish with live bait, you’ve got to feed them what they e…
Florida is known for its invasive species. If you polled a hundred people about which is the worst, you would probably get some predictable an…
By The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
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It’s time again to say goodbye to yet another year and say hello to what we hope is a promising new year. I truly hope that everyone had a gre…
Christmas is over and New Year’s Eve is on my mind. As a chef, this is a night to really go over the top to wow the guests and give them somet…
So you moved here to avoid the icy ravages of Old Man Winter. They told you Florida was a tropical paradise, and they were right — mostly. But…
I tried mightily to get the RV into an area at the house to keep it while we are not using it. But eventually I was forced to face reality: Th…
Many Floridians, both native and transplant, are big fans of our sandhill cranes. We see them in backyards, along roadsides, and in open field…
Happy New Year to each of you. Thank you for your support; it is appreciated. Time is racing by. It’s not easy to accept another year has slip…
The thunder and rain in the night was a bit disconcerting. However, by early morning we just had a light fog over the land of palm trees and h…
Happy Boxing Day! If you don’t know how to celebrate Boxing Day, ask a Canadian or a Brit for advice. Boxing Day or not, today stands to be a …
Your holiday shopping is almost done (I hope). But maybe there are a few things you still need to grab. If you’ve got an angler on your list, …
You now have five shopping days left before Christmas! For some of you, panic just set in. For others, that smug feeling of I’m-all-done confi…
Just the thought of teaching your kids gun safety in today’s world causes many parents to shift into absolute terror mode. This isn’t necessar…
Take time out from your hectic life to consider this: What are your best memories of Christmas? Presents are nice, but they don’t hold a candl…
By The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
I know it’s way early, since Christmas is still nearly a week away, but I thought I’d get my Christmas wish list out there soon enough to allo…
The holiday season is in full swing, and it’s time to ponder that most important of Christmas conundra: Which do you prefer, getting or giving?
Oh, my — 2019 is almost gone! Where did the time go? I should have seen this coming. I mean, after all, holiday decorations started popping up…
