Red, White and BLUEBERRIES–Head to Williston, Florida For A Day of Family Fun and Good Eats

  Located just north of Williston, in Levy County off US27, Red, White and Blue Farms is a destination worthy of lots of family fun.  There’s something for every member of the family–playgrounds for the kids, picking blueberries for the grownups, and even some blueberry beer for Dad! It’s hard to say just what I …

Ask A Seafood Specialist About “Reel Variety” at Florida’s Largest Supermarket Chain (Recipe Included!)

“Florida Food” is all about seafood.  And  sources of fresh, healthy seafood can be found throughout our Natural North Florida region.  In small coastal towns like Steinhatchee (Kathi’s Krabs), Cedar Key (Robinson‘s), Cross City (Rick’s)  there are some great seafood stores.  And in Gainesville, you can’t do much better than Northwest Seafood‘s two locations–one in …

Sheepshead–A Favorite Cool Weather Nearshore Fish Species on Natural North Florida’s Gulf Coast

Inshore and nearshore fishing along Florida’s Gulf Coast has as much to do with economics as it does with species. Of course, many inshore anglers long to be aboard a big sport fishing boat trolling the depths of the Gulf for fish of mammoth proportions. The reality, however, of a round trip that has fuel …

Natural North Florida’s Bay Scallop Harvest Underway! Good 2018 Mid-Season Catches in Taylor, Jefferson, Dixie and Wakulla Counties

  The 2018 bay scallop abundance survey results are in, and the epicenter of this year’s short harvest season is along Natural North Florida’s Big Bend coast.  Each summer, biologists assess bay scallop populations along the Gulf coast of Florida, located in open and closed recreational harvest areas. Surveys are usually initiated in June and …

Natural North Florida’s 2018 Bay Scallop Season Opens Soon!

Pinning down the dates for the 2018 bay scalloping season isn’t as easy as it’s been in past years.  Essentially, our most popular scalloping areas (Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach and Horseshoe Beach) open on June 16, while northern parts of Taylor County (not including Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach) and Wakulla County open on July 1.  The …

“Eew” – Frog Legs! A Natural North Florida Favorite!

You no longer have to be the one to catch (and clean and skin—“Eew”) frog legs. Many seafood specialty shops sell them, and I’ve even found imported, frozen frog legs acceptable and tasty.  That’s a good option for visitors to our Natural North Florida region.  Also, you’ll find them in many restaurants in the region. …

2017 Bay Scalloping On Florida’s Nature Coast–An Abundance of Tasty Bivalves!

It’s July, and Natural North Florida’s 2017 recreational bay scallop harvest is off to a roaring start.  The harvest began on June 16 for the waters from Suwannee (in Dixie County) to the Fenholloway River (in Taylor County) and ends on September 10.  The remainder of Taylor County, all of Levy County, Jefferson and Wakulla …

Spotted Seatrout–A Big Bend Favorite (To Catch and To Eat)!

Fall is here and all those undersized spotted seatrout that Big Bend anglers have been catching and releasing since last spring have grown up.  Now, they’re mostly all in the 15 to 20-inch slot (you can keep one over 20-inches) and there should be no problem catching dinner as the waters on the Big Bend …

Recipe: Captain Tommy’s Pretzel Rolls

One of my pet peeves is “bad buns”. No—not necessarily beachgoers who don’t suit up in front of mirrors, but fried or grilled fish sandwiches whose buns ruin a perfectly good meal. Forget soggy fries or wilted salads—they can be ignored. Just don’t give me a piece of fish on what’s essentially a stale piece …

It’s Fall–And Those Big, Tasty Redfish Are Plentiful on Florida’s Big Bend!

Fall means that our Gulf waters are beginning to cool off, and the redfish are getting frisky and into a spawning mood.  However, the big “bull” and “spawner” reds are over-slot and wouldn’t be great to eat anyway.  Reds in the 18-27-inch slot are much better at the table. If you want to eat a …