As a boater, are you afraid of sinking? I doubt most boaters worry about it too much these days. Ever since the Boston Whaler “unsinkable” ads, which showed the boat cut in halves or thirds and still afloat, manufacturers have boasted about how much flotation foam they cram into their hulls.…
Of all the creatures in natures’ menagerie, spiders and their relatives probably evoke more fear and loathing than any others, even including …
Do you have treefrogs at your house? Almost all of us do, especially if you have garage or porch lights that stay on all night. Go out and tak…
Between the magazine, Radio WaterLine, speaking at seminars, and my side gig as the Fish Coach, I spend a lot of time on angler education. Ove…
Here’s a little-known fishing tidbit: The FWC stocked 27,000 sunshine bass in the canals of Gulf Cove in May 2019. Sunshine bass look like str…
We visited the East Coast this year for our annual Florida Outdoor Writers Association conference. I signed up for the last seat on an airboat…
For the first time since we have gotten into the RV way of life, we are heading out of state with the RV. We have decided on Lake Guntersville…
Last week I went to a local supermarket not knowing I wanted to cook for dinner. I grabbed a cart and went on my usual route through the marke…
Meet one of the strangest creatures in the sea. Tunicates are invertebrates, meaning they lack a backbone. Invertebrates are a very large and …
I am truly lucky — I live on a saltwater canal. With 190 miles of saltwater canals in Charlotte County, so do a lot of others. But most of tho…
By STEVE REILLY
Provided by the FWC
Provided by Mote Marine Lab
I’m starting to get excited. It’s almost that time of year for the return of those notorious bait-stealing fish we call sheepshead. I know it’…
I’m sure you have noticed I haven’t been excited about fishing recently. The last few years haven’t been inspirational for me around here with…
When I arrived at Gasparilla Marina, the shrimp bait truck had just arrived. I got a dozen shrimp and frozen finger mullet as bait. I was fish…
They’re trickling slowly in our direction now, but that trickle will soon turn into a torrent — a human torrent of part-year residents arrivin…
Fair warning: This column is going to be boring to some of you. I know, I know — you’d rather read about how to catch the big bull redfish we …
Last week, we ran a press release from the FWC about three weekends open for red snapper fishing this month. In that release, FWC Chairman Rob…
(Editor’s note: Some of you doubtless noticed the “rainbow” trout pictured with Capt. Rex’s last column was, in fact, a brown trout. That’s wh…
In our last column, we covered some basic gear decisions kayak anglers need to make. Things like the size and type of kayak, paddle length, ty…
Before long, the weather will start to cool — and with it, so will the water temperatures. Those declining temps will let the bass know that t…
Southwest Florida’s beaches are famous as places to bask in the sun and enjoy a little low-key surf. People headed to our shores often bring s…
As a boater, are you afraid of sinking? I doubt most boaters worry about it too much these days. Ever since the Boston Whaler “unsinkable” ads…
With the purchase of our new RV, we have another towing dilemma on our hands. The thought we now have is to take the boat and a vehicle with u…
Summer is slipping through our fingers. Yes, I know it’s fall according to the calendar, but go stand outside for 10 minutes around noon and t…
When I was a kid in Zolfo Springs, my brother and I would ride our bikes to Pioneer Park and castnet Nile perch in Rock Lake. We’d let the big…
Marine and freshwater fish support important angling industries that provide substantial benefit to local economies. Although catch and releas…
As the human population of Florida expands, we are taking up an ever-greater proportion of the state for “people stuff” — homes, commercial de…
Southwest Florida’s offshore anglers might soon have another fishing hotspot to load into their GPS units. About a month ago, the EPA announce…
Sometimes, no matter how careful we are on the water, bad things happen. We get stung by catfish, stingrays or jellyfish, or pierced by hooks,…
Hey, shooters! A lot of the RSOs at the ranges are telling me that they would like me to do a column concerning shooting attire. Trust me, it’…
By BOB MUDGE
Did you ever wake up to the singing of hundreds of robins outside your window? If not, maybe you will this year. They will soon be returning t…
Do you ever have trouble sleeping because you can’t shut your brain off? Yeah, me neither. But I do sometimes give the old neurons a spin whil…
My boat needed some exercise and frankly, I was ready for some water time. I did some exploration and discovered several bright spots for futu…
Each morning when I greet my clients, I introduce myself and then help them get on board my boat. Once I get them situated and comfortable, I …
After last year’s prolonged periods of red tide in the Gulf along with cyanobacteria and green slime in bays and creeks, people are wondering …
A couple weeks ago, Chef Tim Spain wrote a column about jack crevalle, calling them the “beef of the sea.” I posted that column in several Fac…
There’s a holiday coming up this Saturday. It’s one that might not be on your calendar, but it should be. It’s been on mine for months, and I’…
We like to keep our advice in the positive side of the discussion. That being said, here are a few thoughts we wanted to share with beginners …
It won’t be long. The humidity is dropping, the days are getting shorter, and the fishing is about to change. It doesn’t matter if you fish fr…
Most of us started out our fishing careers catching freshwater panfish. Pumpkinseeds aren’t just for kids, though. If you can’t remember the l…
By mid September, the long, hot Southwest Florida summer has started to wear me down. Guiding gets a little slower (OK; a lot slower) and many…
Do you believe in Bigfoot? According to a 2014 study, one in five Americans is convinced that Bigfoot is an actual living, breathing creature.…
Those of us who own firearms are keenly aware that there are a lot of people who think we shouldn’t, or at the very least would like to limit …
By Craig Pittman
If you’re walking through a field during the summer months, you may notice a few slender solitary plants that stand a little taller than their…
We have had more rain this summer than I can ever remember. Water levels on Central Florida lakes are higher than I have ever seen them. The v…
Black drum are cool fish that are getting quite a bit off fishing action right now. Black drum, Pogonias cromis, occur from the Gulf of Maine …
The largest bison ranch this side of the Mississippi is in Charlotte County. They have around 1,500 head of bison, (perhaps better known as Am…
Summers in Southwest Florida are known for plenty of sun and plenty of heat. But to me, the hallmark of the season is really thunder. Daily or…
