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’re hankering for fresh fish. One of them is the humble sailcat, which I have eaten and enjoyed.
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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…
Southwest Florida’s anglers, at least those who enjoy eating the fish they catch, may be feeling shell-shocked this spring as a result of regu…
For as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with nature. As a kid, I played outside so much that some of my classmates thou…
I’m sitting at a hotel room desk putting this column together, frustrated because my wife and I are not in our RV. This is the first fishing t…
Now that the FWC has closed snook, redfish and trout until next May, a lot of anglers are wondering how they’re going to catch supper. While t…
Last week I wrote about fishing for large sharks in our area, which requires heavy-duty tackle and a lot of patience. Small sharks, on the oth…
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Arising at dark o’clock was easy to do for our trip to Kiwanis Park in Port Charlotte, led by Robe…
It’s a bit early to be talking about the rainy season, but we have had a few sprinkles in the past couple weeks. These pre-season showers set …
Do you like herding a gaggle of wet cats and juggling running chainsaws while chewing on a big piece of tin foil? If you said yes, then you ne…
Knowing how to fish all of the varying techniques used to catch bass is one thing. Understanding when to use these different methods is anothe…
Let’s conduct a little thought experiment. I’m making you the fish management czar. Too few redfish? All the trout are small? Gotta find more …
You don’t have to look far these days to see an angler standing up in a kayak waving a fly rod around. Back in the day, it was considered weir…
Capt. Josh:
If you ask me, the best part of winter is Florida is the lack of mosquitoes. Yes, the low humidity is nice. I enjoy being able to walk from th…
Well, it’s tarpon season. Excuse me if I don’t sound amused, but I’m not. I don’t get excited about tarpon until after they leave the Pass. In…
By Capt. Josh Olive
Recreational fishing is a hobby, a pastime. There are people who use the rod and reel as a way to put food on the table, but for most people (…
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By now, you’ve probably heard about the guy who was bitten by a shark while fishing in Boca Grande Pass. (If you haven’t, go to https://www.yo…
Provided by the FWC
If you have ever been to Cedar Key, then you probably had a clam dish at one of the restaurants there. Just about all of them offer linguine w…
By The American Sportfishing Association
Weather, people and fish are all impossible to predict with certainty, but there are seasonal patterns associated with all three of them. Peop…
Whitebait is the hottest thing going right now. It seems like every inshore fishermen is talking about: What they’re catching on it, where to …
Shooting guns for recreational purposes is lot of fun. Of course, safety is always a priority. I hope everyone knows the four rules of safe fi…
Those of you who listen to Radio WaterLine (7 to 9 a.m. Saturdays on KIX Country 92.9 FM, or anytime at RadioWaterLine.com) are familiar with …
May is my favorite month of the year. The days can be hot but it is not yet as humid as it will be soon. Mornings are still a bit cool, but mo…
It’s cownose ray mating season! This is the time of year when I’m frequently asked “What kind of fish is that swimming at the surface with two…
Easter came and went. Season is over, and it’s time for us locals to enjoy local fishing.
The calendar says spring, but we all know that once Easter is behind us, it’s summer in Southwest Florida. With the heat we see big fish like …
By CCA Florida
What part of fishing is most satisfying? Is it seeking out the fish and tricking them into taking a hook? Is it bending the rod and listening …
I think the ultimate experience in the fly fishing game is stalking a fish, seeing it, making a good cast, moving the fly properly and then ha…
About a month ago I was on the verge of building a standalone garage in our backyard to hold the boat and the RV — something simple to keep th…
Tarpon are starting to show up about now. Really, they have been here for about six weeks, but most people didn’t expect them and haven’t been…
We mostly fish with soft plastic lures, but there are times when having a couple of dozen live shrimp on board (or shiners and minnows for fre…
As I write these words, it’s early in the day. The sky is getting lighter and brighter, but the sun has not yet peeked above the horizon. Look…
Between the full moon and storm winds, our waters got a serious flush last weekend. This will move whatever fish we have out into the open wat…
For most reef anglers, barracuda are a pain to be avoided. They rank right up there with sharks and Goliath grouper as fish we love to hate be…
Every year, the Venice Area Birding Association plans a trip to visit the burrowing owls of Cape Coral. For quite a few years, we combined thi…
We are approaching another hot Southwest Florida summer and as we all know it becomes very difficult to keep your bait alive. I thought it wou…
I got the hard one out of the way first. I’d launched my little lake boat after supper one evening last week and had decided that I’d spend th…
I can’t catch any fish to eat because the seasons are all closed! Why do I have to drive so far to find good fishing? I want to catch a tarpon…
Recently I was with a fishing client out on the water. We were discussing everything we saw out there, not just the fishing stuff. One of thos…
I did a lot of bass fishing while growing up in Zolfo Springs. We had a couple ponds that we could fish, but we weren’t allowed to keep the ba…
Come on, man — you’ve got to be kidding Nope, they are actually really still here. Flashback to the 1950s and duck hunting or just shotgunning…
Mangroves are woody plants which are found along almost every coast that has a tropical or subtropical climate. Worldwide, there are approxima…
Capt. Josh:
Tackle shop chatter is interesting. There's a mix of bragging and questioning, a blend of information exchange and chest-thumping. A fair chun…
