Despite what many first-time visitors assume, the Southwest Florida coast is not known for incredible blue-water fishing. You want to troll fo…
As I write this on Saturday, we are nervously watching Hurricane Isaias stumble, sputter and bluster her way across the Caribbean as she nears…
Who let the dogs out? Woof, woof, woof, woof-woof! This is more than just a fun little song released in the summer of 2000 by the Baha Men. (S…
Greg Bartz is a tournament bass fisherman based in Lakeland. Greg fishes lakes throughout Florida’s Heartland and enjoys RV travel around the …
There are a lot of gun myths out there. They were passed on from fool to fool, usually at gun shows or at campfires. Then came the Internet, w…
At the last meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on July 22 and 23, one of the topics of discussion was changing t…
Do you like to grill? Do you enjoy going out on the boat? Would you like to do both at the same time? Well then, you might want to look into g…
When I caught my first tarpon back in the late ‘80s, I was amazed to say the least. I just couldn’t believe its size (about 70 pounds); the wa…
Birders are a strange lot. If there’s a 90 percent off sale at Beall’s or free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, they’ll just procrastinate or just not …
It’s summertime, as if you hadn’t noticed, and in the summer many anglers like to use whitebait (aka greenbacks) as bait for redfish and snook…
How much do you know about horseshoe crabs? You’ve probably seen them, or maybe their cast-off sheds, while you were out on the water — but re…
I discovered and watched some of my old TV shows last week. I hadn’t watched them in decades. It was interesting to look back 30 years and see…
I get a lot of requests from people whose yards (and sometimes homes) have been invaded by big reptiles. Although our largest native lizard-sh…
How many fishermen have you heard whining about how terrible summer bass fishing is?I have always caught some of my biggest bass during these …
What do you collect? Most of us collect something. It might be a “traditional” collectible, like comic books or coins. If you’re wealthy, perh…
So many birders cringe a bit and then chuckle when they hear people talking about sea gulls. I always think about a story from quite a few yea…
Being an avid bass fisherman, towing is always a great concern for me when traveling in the RV. If the wind picks up, it can sometimes be a ha…
Most people reading this column are already holders of a concealed carry permit, or are considering getting one. I’ll bet you went back and fo…
Have you ever wondered why there is less natural relief and hard bottom habitats in the Gulf off Charlotte Harbor compared to areas north and …
We are dedicated kayak and shore anglers who don’t currently own a powerboat. However, there are occasions when visitors come to town and we w…
All snook are born as males. Most of those that live long enough eventually change into females, but not all of them make the change. They don…
In the heat of midsummer, fishing during the day is often less than pleasant. There’s not just the heat to deal with — you also have those pes…
Reader photos
By Derrick Turner
Capt. Josh:
Surf fishing is very popular in many oceanfront locations, especially on the Atlantic coast, but it’s never been a big deal for most locals. W…
Mangrove snapper are usually regarded as bait-thieving pests by inshore fishermen. Most offshore anglers look at them as bonus catches once th…
It is a hopeful sign that the all-knowing experts finally see the blatantly obvious algae problem (“Scientists sound early alarm on stringy al…