Fishing October’s Lower Tides on the Gulf Coast

One thing I can’t predict is the weather or wind, and it turned out that we had a fair amount of the latter this past weekend when Hurricane Matthew chewed up Florida’s east coast.  Big storms like Matthew produce winds on both coasts. However, it looked like our fish didn’t really care. Trout and reds …

Florida’s 2016/2017 Stone Crab Season Opens October 15th–Great Eating Ahead

The result of stone crabbers’ hard work–a plate of mighty fine eatin’ There’s nothing more tasty than a Florida stone crab.  And some of the best come from the ports of Natural North Florida. Florida’s stone crab population is highly regulated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  Not only do regulations apply …

Boat? What Boat? Try Wade-Fishing on Florida’s Taylor and Dixie County Coastlines

  Redfish are a common catch for anglers wading the Big Bend   I guess I’m guilty of assuming that everyone who fishes on the Big Bend has a boat.   I’m hardly an elitist, but consider myself lucky to have had access to, or ownership of, a boat for the last 50 years. However, I’ve …

Florida’s Big Bend 2016 Recreational Scallop Season Ends–With A Bang!

Five of the seven counties that make up the official Florida bay scallop harvest are in Natural North Florida–Levy, Dixie, Taylor, Jefferson and Wakulla.  And what a year 2016 has been!  The harvest started in June, and quick boat limits (see www.myfwc.com/fishing for regulations) were taken.  And even after Hurricane Hermine slammed the coast over …

Help Keep Our Big Bend Waters Clean and Clear–CCA Trash Tournament, September 27, 2016 at Steinhatchee

As the Big Bend of Florida moves into the last month of the annual bay scallop harvest, it’s time to pick up the trash!  Unfortunately, even the best boaters and snorkelers leave a trail of debris, and the Coastal Conservation Association, Swamp Head Brewery and Sea Hag Marina have teamed up to hold this fun …

Attention Equestrians! Visit Florida’s R.O. Ranch Equestrian Park

Located about halfway between Mayo and Steinhatchee in Natural North Florida, R.O. Ranch offers unique opportunities for horsemen and horsewomen looking to camp with their mounts.   Operated as a joint venture with the Suwannee River Water Management District, R.O Ranch is a spectacular 2500 acre equestrian park located in rural Lafayette County. The trails …

Our Seagrasses, And What They Mean To Big Bend Anglers (And Snorkelers!)

The largest natural preserve, our Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve is huge–almost a million square acres.  And it’s a big part of the reason that our Gulf coastal fishery is so good.  It stretches from Waccasass Bay in Levy County to St. Marks in Wakulla County and serves as a nursery for small bait fish, …

“Mainline”: The Back Roads of Dixie County, Florida

Originally cleared years ago as logging roads in rural Dixie County, the Dixie Mainline and the Bowlegs Mainline are still a functional, albeit sometimes rough, set of roads. Now they shortcut  the long travel between Steinhatchee and Horseshoe Beach and Horseshoe Beach and Suwannee.  And they cross some beautiful backwaters and forests. For many years, …

Scallop Information For A Successful 2016 Season on Florida’s Big Bend

Scalloping on Florida’s Big Bend Here are some links to “Scalloping Basics”, as well as information on lodging and marine facilities on our Natural North Florida Big Bend coast.   Recommended Reading:   Bay Scallops—The Gulf of Mexico’s Tastiest Treat www.saltwateranglersguide.com/?page_id=2215   Scalloping 101 www.saltwateranglersguide.com/?s=scalloping+101   Lodging Recommendations   Seahorse Landing Condos, Cedar Key (seahorselanding.com) …

Take The Easy Road–Rent a Boat For Scallop Season at Steinhatchee’s Sea Hag Marina

Owning your own boat has advantages.  You can use it when you want and how you want.  And if it’s bay scallop season on our Natural North Florida Gulf coast, you can launch it at St. Marks, Keaton Beach, Steinhatchee, Horseshoe Beach, Suwannee or Cedar Key and make the run to the “scallop grounds”.   But …