A Beginner’s Guide to Bay Scallop Season: Catching, Cleaning & Cooking Fresh Gulf Scallops

Scalloping is the Natural North Florida’s alternative to South Florida’s lobster season.  It’s a combination of complete madness at boat ramps and marinas, motels filled to capacity, family fun, and some of the best eating around. Here is our comprehensive guide to scalloping in Natural North Florida to prepare you for the upcoming season. Read …

Fabulous, Feminine Fun at Steinhatchee’s Nauti-Girls Tournament, 6/11/16

NO BOYS ALLOWED!  That’s the motto for the upcoming Steinhatchee Nauti Girls Fishing Tournament, scheduled for June 11th.  Actually “boat boys”, mostly designated drivers, are allowed to chauffeur ladies’ teams around the local Steinhatchee waters.  This is the 7th year of the event, and it just keeps getting more and more popular, attracting ladies from …

Gov. Scott and FWC Announce Saltwater and Freshwater License-Free Fishing Days

Governor Scott and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Floridians and visitors will be able to fish without a saltwater recreational fishing license on June 7 and 8 and freshwater recreational fishing license on June 14 and 15. Governor Scott said, “Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World, and fishing is an …

Take A Kid Fishing–But Stop at Wilson’s Bait and Tackle in Perry, Fl First!

Have you seen that neon sign outside of Wilson’s Bait and Tackle in Perry?  And do you remember that it used to move, flash, and say, “Take a BOY Fishing”?  Well, times have changed, and lots of GIRLS go fishing–but Wilson’s is pretty much the same. In the world of the “www” and outdoor “megastores”, …

Sheepshead Providing Great Fishing Action and Eating on Florida’s Big Bend, Spring 2016

  First, they’re officially sheepShead, but many Floridians call them sheephead, with out the “S”.  and what’s more, sheepshead, found all along Florida’s Gulf coast, are notorious bait stealers. During most of the year, these small-mouthed fish inhabit coastal oyster and rock bars, docks and rock jetties searching for their favorite prey—crustaceans, including small crabs, …

The Mackerel Are Coming! The Mackerel Are Coming!

    Word is that the pods of bait fish that both Spanish and king mackerel love and follow are now north of Tampa Bay and heading towards our Big Bend/Natural North Florida waters.  That means, that by the middle of March, the “bite” should be hot and heavy at places like Seahorse Reef at …

Heading to Cedar Key, FL With Your Boat? Don’t Forget The Backwaters Near The #4 Channel

Anglers and boaters headed to Cedar Key are sometimes put off by the crowds at the downtown boat basin.  Yes, they’re closer to the Gulf of Mexico, and there’s an inside and an outside ramp.  If you use the inside ramp, you’ll be in the shallow boat basin and if your boat has a T-top …

Relay For Life Fishing Tournament, Suwannee, FL, March 26, 2016

On March 26, 2016, Suwannee Marina will host the Relay For Life Fishing Tournament at Suwannee, FL.  It’s an inshore/offshore/freshwater tournament.  Leave the dock at first safe light, and be back for the inshore/freshwater weigh-in at 3PM–or the offshore weigh-in at 4PM.  The entry fee is $100 per boat (until March 11; $125 after) and …

Going Fishing or Hunting in Natural North Florida? Don’t Forget Your License!

If you’re heading out to fish (or hunt) in our Natural North Florida region, you’ll likely need a license.  That’s especially true if you’re not a Florida resident.  Florida’s rules can be complicated, so here’s a quick look at the basics, thanks to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Who needs a recreational …

Can You Catch Fish In Natural North Florida? You Betcha!

Our spring fed rivers, coastal creeks and rivers, as well as the inshore and offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico provide some of the best fishing in the world.  Here are a few photos to prove our point.  Explore our many coastal communities–Yankeetown, Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach, St. Marks and …