Bay Scallop Season To Begin on Florida’s Nature Coast, June 27, 2015

  The 2015 bay scallop season opens June 27th. Ports along Florida’s Nature Coast from the Pasco/Hernando county line north to the Mexico Beach Canal are expecting a record “crop” and are prepared for a very busy couple of months.   This year’s season begins on June 27 and ends on September 24, giving everyone plenty …

Coastal Conservation Association Florida STAR Tournament Begins May 23, 2015

Imagine a 108-day fishing tournament that covers the entire Gulf Coast of Florida, including all the waters of Natural North Florida.  With almost $500,000 in prizes (a truck, 3 boats and motors, and countless other prizes) this inaugural tournament will attract the attention of anglers state-wide. The big prizes (truck, boats and motors) will be …

Don’t Discount The Table Appeal of Those Pesky Black Sea Bass!

  Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) can be pests, but they can also be fine table fare, if they’re in the legal size-limit slot (and if you catch as many keepers as you need for your crew!).  When you find black sea bass, usually hovering over nearcshore rocky reefs all over Florida’s Big Bend off …

Red grouper Bag Limit Changes to 2 on May 7, 2015 in Florida’s Gulf State and Federal Waters

The red grouper recreational bag limit will change from four to two fish per person in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, excluding Monroe County, on May 7, 2015 This change was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its November 2014 meeting. The Commission hopes that this change will …

Steinhatchee Scallopalooza–Saturday, June 27, 2015. The “Season” Begins!

Depending on the whims of Florida’s governor and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida’s recreational scallop harvest will begin in late June or on July 1, 2015.  As a prelude to the fun and good eating, the folks at Roy’s Restaurant in Steinhatchee are again sponsoring “Scallopalooza 2015”, a day of music …

Rigging Rods and Reels For Big Bend Flats Trout Fishing Action!

Rigging for trout fishing on our Natural North Florida grass flats needn’t be hard or complicated. I do recommend light rods and reels for the “main event” of seatrout catching. 2500 to 4000 class spinning outfits are just fine, and I’m a real believer in using braided polypropylene lines like PowerPro or SpiderWire. You don’t …

Water Temperatures Cross The 70-Degree Threshold on Florida’s Big Bend–And The March Fishing Is Great!

This past week (the first week of March 2015), Gulf of Mexico water temperatures finally crossed over the 70-degree mark.  And the BITE IS ON!  All the ports in our regiion (Yankeetown, Waccasassa, Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach, Econfina, Aucilla, St. Marks and Panacea) report great catches of spotted seatrout and redfish, …

Early Spring Fishing “ON FIRE” in Alachua County Lakes!

Freshwater anglers looking for largemouth bass and speckled perch (crappie, specks) don’t have to travel far within North Central Florida to find some amazing fishing, especially in Alachua County.  Despite its reputation as a “college town”, Gainesville’s proximity to Newnans, Lochloosa and Santa Fe lakes makes it the perfect jumping-off spot for some terrific freshwater …

Surprise, Surprise! — It’s Snook Season On North Florida’s Big Bend

If you remember your Korean War history from high school, you’ll likely recall that the 38th Parallel, or line of latitude, was important because it marked the border between North and South Korea.  In Natural North Florida, and in terms of snook fishing,  we have an important line of latitude, too. Eons ago, when I …