I’m curious about all those wanting to protest and complain but who aren’t willing to actually do anything to address or fix problems. I’m cry…

By Patrick Whittle

Manatees are inoffensive and lovably homely creatures. The rotund, plant-eating sea cows usually move pretty slowly, though they are strong sw…

Officially, it’s the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve. A reserve of almost 25,000 acres deserves a big name to go with the size of the ar…

As a rule, I don’t like politics. This is partly due to a wide independent streak that prevents me from buying into either party’s dogma. But …

Our fish have different cycles of food sources during the year. The two main ones are whitebait and shrimp. From late spring to fall, when wat…

For me, New Year’s Eve is usually just a normal day, with part of it relegated to preparation for a New Year’s Eve bash, innocuous bowl games,…

A jighead is such a simple thing. Take a long-shanked hook and put a 90-degree kink a quarter-inch below the eye, so the eye is now jutting ou…

It appears we are into the silly season of bass fishing. The time of year where you would love the weather to do one thing or the other just t…

There actually is a bright side to our bipolar weather: We still don’t have to winterize our boats. But 80 degrees one day and 40 the next can…

Man, have I got a story to tell you, son. Last year, this ole redneck went out of the state of Florida for the first time in 25 years. I went …

As the sheepshead start to show back up around my dock, it has me thinking about how I would go about cooking them. Well, for starters, I’m no…

I’ll bet that you’ve heard of mermaids. These half-fish, half-human creatures have persisted in human mythology for centuries. I doubt that we…

December is only one month of the year that my bass club doesn’t have a fishing tournament. You’d think that I’d get a fishing jones, or feel …

First and foremost, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I truly hope that 2019 is a super fishy year, and that every angler out th…

As much as I love Mexican food, sometimes I want to experience some different flavors. And as much as I love the fishing in our backyard, some…

A firearm malfunction is simple to define: It’s when you squeeze the trigger, but the bullet fails to launch or launches at a reduced velocity…

Peace River Wildlife Center started off the year on a positive note by releasing eight gopher tortoises that had been in rehab, some as long a…

I still have a few guys even older and saltier than me to swap fish tales with. I sure enjoy stirring up those buried memories. Our gear didn’…

Your ears are prominently displayed on the sides of your head. But when you look at a fish, you can’t see its ears. That’s because a fish’s ea…

I’m constantly scanning the news online, trying to stay current with — well, with everything. A few days ago, this little gem from The West Au…

This starts with a pre-history lesson. The Florida we know today is not anything like it once was. Climate change (which is very real, and has…

Sometimes when I read the newspaper, I get material for fun and jaunty columns. “Couple arrested for being nude on the beach.” “Woman charged …

Fog can be a serious issue for boaters, and here in Southwest Florida, the fog season is upon us. Even moderately foggy conditions can transfo…

Where are you from? I’m from right here, but I’ll bet not many of you can say that. Most of the people currently living in Southwest Florida s…

The bait thieves are out, and they are out in full numbers. Sheepshead are everywhere, and this is the time of year to catch them. There are a…

Macroalgae are large species of algae often referred to as seaweeds. When not attached to bottom sediments, they are commonly called drift alg…

There’s a huge amount of waterfront property around Charlotte Harbor, and many of those homes are owned by anglers. Most of them fish from the…

I have mentioned the technique of presenting a fly with your back cast several times in different columns, yet I find that no beginners and fe…

Between the news and social media, moods seem to be bouncing more than our temperatures. Our holiday weather had some cool days but 2018 ended…

Southwest Florida was experiencing monsoon winds and heavy rains several days previous to Venice Area Birding Association’s planned trip to Di…

Going into the new year has given me a new perspective on fishing. Not being able to get out on the water has made this vacation somewhat diff…

Life is a roller coaster. I know I’m not the first person to recognize that, but as the years pass, that metaphor gets more and more real to m…

Winter has officially arrived, and the cool, crisp days are upon us. So if your wandering around the Harbor looking for those snook treats cal…

When everyone met to car pool, it was a bit difficult distinguishing some of the 11 Venice Area Birding Association members because of the muf…

Provided by the Center for Sportfishing Policy

The Intracoastal Waterway, or ICW as we often informally call it, is a channel that allows boats to navigate in calmer and safer inshore water…

Leaving your RV outside exposed in the elements means that some things can go wrong. I expected that. But little did I know that I’d have to g…

This week I have an easy recipe for you that that doesn’t take up too much of your time to prep. It starts with some local flounder.

Florida’s fresh waters teem with life. The Sunshine State is so famous for producing big bass that anglers journey here from all over the worl…

Baseball fans know what a grand slam is. It’s hitting a home run with loaded bases, putting four runs on the board. A grand slam can turn the …

We are very fortunate in Southwest Florida to have a wealth of wild (OK, mostly semi-wild) places that are open to the public. Access to most …

We are very fortunate in Southwest Florida to have a wealth of wild (OK, mostly semi-wild) places that are open to the public. Access to most …