st. marks
Paddle Natural North Florida’s Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is proud to announce the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail was awarded designation as a National Recreation Trail during National Trails Day June 4th, 2005. The Big Bend Paddling Trail was one of 37 trails in 23 states to receive this award. National Recreation Trail designation is an honor …
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 …
Florida’s 2015 Recreational Scallop Season to Close 9/24, But Don’t Despair!
In early June, the “buzz” along Florida’s Nature Coast is all about recreational scalloping. The season usually opens the last Saturday in June, and folks at our Big Bend ports gear up for a busy season. This year’s season was no exception, and limits of bay scallops just kept coming in, almost to the end …
Boat Rentals at St. Marks and Steinhatchee on Florida’s Natural North Florida Gulf Coast
Not everyone has a boat (AKA a hole in the water in which to pour money!). And not everyone needs to have a boat if they only use it a couple of times each year. Florida’s recreational bay scallop season, running from June to September each year, is the perfect time to rent a boat …
Going Scalloping On Our Natural North Florida Gulf Coast? Plan Ahead!
Participating in Florida’s bay scallop harvest (see: Bay Scallops: The Gulf of Mexico’s Tastiest Treat) is lots of fun, but before you head out the door and head to Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach, or St. Marks (all in Natural North Florida!), you’re advised to do some preliminary planning. Other than the “simple stuff”, like having your …
Bay Scallop Abundance Survey Results, June 21, 2015
The “Bay Scallop Abundance Survey” results from Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is always wildly-anticipated by folks hoping to catch their limit of these tasty bivalves during the summer harvest. The 2015 season begins on June 27 and ends on September 25. There’s plenty of information about the “how-to” of gathering your own …
2015 Scallop Season Solutions (For Hook and Liners)!
Natural North Florida’s recreational scallop season isn’t necessarily a bad thing for fishermen. However, if you fish from Keaton Beach, St. Marks, Panacea, Econfina, Horseshoe Beach or Steinhatchee it can be aggravating. Those of you wishing to use launching ramps at these locations will probably find large, untrained crowds and those of you needing a …
Don’t Overlook This Species: Ladyfish Are “Elops” of Fun! May 2015
Elops saurus, the ladyfish, is one of the great species of Gulf game fish. They offer lots of fun but not much table value. Many consider them junk fish, but serious anglers and guides find them game with light tackle or fly rods. Bait pods are now showing up in near shore big Bend waters, …
Down The Less-Beaten Path Through The St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
There’s nothing quite like the United States’ National Wildlife Refuge system, and Natural North Florida has three of the best– St. Marks, Lower Suwannee and Cedar Key. All are interesting and worth the trip, but The St. Marks Preserve, located in Wakulla County, in the middle of the Big Bend, is especially interesting to visitors …
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 …