We’re almost a week into hurricane season, and just about every media source has produced a hurricane special, a hurricane handbook, or some sort of a hurricane how-to guide. Since it seems like the “in” thing to do and I don’t want to feel left out, my version is presented here.
A word of advice: If you see a sandhill crane colt that appears to be separated from its family, and you choose to capture it, be prepared for…
I found myself at a plant nursery a couple weeks ago, and I was admiring a particularly showy hibiscus. A couple came along and were also look…
What is an American red snapper? I don’t know if there’s any difference between a red snapper in Mexican waters or in American waters. Seems l…
After a while, we all tend to get a little bored shooting holes in the same old silhouette targets. There are some fun little variations you c…
One day it’s up and then we go down the next. Welcome to fishing.
I received a little surprise when I got home yesterday: Our daughter Lynsy was finishing up her first summer class in college and coming home …
I still don’t know how he did it. How did my dad ever find the time to work an incredible number of hours managing and growing his business so…
Gag grouper are such a great fish to target. They are one of two local grouper species that grow up inshore (Goliath grouper are the other). T…
I have two jobs — fishing guide and bait shop employee. So of course, I hear it all the time: “Why should I bother fishing? Everything I can k…
Did you know that not all birds nest in trees? In our area, many seabirds scrape small nests in the sand, where they hatch downy young that ca…
We’re almost a week into hurricane season, and just about every media source has produced a hurricane special, a hurricane handbook, or some s…
A Charlotte County architect was arrested May 31 after being involved in a fatal Charlotte Harbor boat crash in February.
When I first started using spinning tackle, I was annoyed that when a big fish (or turtle — caught plenty of softshells) would pull on my line…
I absolutely understand that we need to protect and manage our fish and fisheries. It’s just that I’m trying to figure out how to run a busine…
Where do you want to go today? That’s the question that often begins our day of kayak fishing. This discussion always shifts to where we shoul…
Deb Johnson, Don Rippeon and I planned and led VABA’s three-day East Coast trip this year. Eight Dora Explorers took off in two vehicles. Each…
I have never had a hydraulic jack plate on any of my boats. When I ordered my new Nitro Z-20, I thought I put it on my order to have one insta…
Steve is a longtime client and friend who was finally able to put an end to a curse plaguing him for a few years now: A big tarpon on the fly …
I think something we don’t talk about enough is electronics. It’s because we don’t use them. What good is a fish finder when you’re fishing in…
We are very fortunate in Charlotte County to have a natural tidal wetland. Lemon Lake is a bonanza for birds during times when the water level…
Many of you have no doubt felt the disappointment of walking into the bait shop to buy tarpon crabs only to discover that there are none avail…
Capt. Josh:
We all want to know what the future holds, which is why fortune-telling has been a moneymaker for as long as we’ve been able to tell lies with…
CAPT. JOSH:
“They’re just mindless killing machines. They eat up all of our gamefish. We’d be better off without them.”
By Capt. Josh Olive — THE FISH COACH
Most seasoned gun enthusiasts are familiar with the rifle caliber .308. It is a very popular hunting round and has its place in the military a…
I know this is supposed to be a cooking column, but I have other things to talk about this week. So you don’t starve, I’ve included a recipe I…
With so many closures, try targeting some Spanish mackerel. They run all over the Harbor and Gulf waters. Cleaner, clearer waters produce bett…
Ever since we bought our RV, we have towed our boat behind it to almost every tournament we have fished. Now we are exploring the idea of buyi…
The world we live in today has changed dramatically since I was a child. Some of the changes have been for the better and some, well, not so m…
It’s an expected part of parenthood that your kids eventually move away. It’s like that for people, and it’s like that for animals. They don’t…
So when was the last time you bragged to your friends about catching a big Megalops atlanticus or a nice Centropomus undecimalis? Umm, yeah … …
For kids who are lucky enough to have two loving parents in their lives, Father’s Day — coming up June 16 — is a great time for them to spend …
By Betsy Calvert
OK, now it’s tarpon time. We are almost into the last week of May, and in between the very windy days, the tarpon action has been great for th…
I’ve slowed down my charters because I can’t go like I used to, but I just did a full week of all-day trips. It was hard on this old man. I di…
This is a crazy time of year to be on the water. There is just about everything swimming around in the water. Because of that, you have to be …
If you’ve ever seen an angler wading the flats, walking the beach, or fly fishing from a kayak and thought “that looks like fun” — you’re righ…
Have you ever had the chance to be out fishing for bass and run into them when they are in full-blow eat mode? Well, my wife and I were gettin…
Mangrove snapper are a very accommodating fish. You can catch them inshore or offshore, from a boat or from the pier. They’re not exactly pick…
CAPT. JOSH:
I was at the bait shop talking with a gentleman about fishing for black drum. The guy was getting excited about the prospect as we discussed b…
Provided by the IFA
Are you ready to celebrate? June 21-28 is Cephalopod Week. So exciting! No, we don’t get to take the week off from work, and it’s not a real h…
One of the really cool things about living in Florida is that there’s evidence of life long ago all around us. The first fossils I collected w…
OK, kids, it’s story time! Back in 1947, a Florida realtor had a problem. The war was over and cash was flowing. People were buying property —…
I was watching a TV fishing show yesterday afternoon. The format was typical of many of these shows: A celebrity host was taken fishing by a c…
So you can’t keep a redfish, snook or trout to eat. That’s the bad news. The good news is that there are lots of other fish you can eat if you…
The following is a letter received from the City of Venice on April 25, 2019:
The city of Venice is upset with me and insists they haven’t dumped any untreated sewage since September of 2017, when Irma hit us. If they tr…
