Protecting yourself from pesky bugs

July 1, 2016

Making a living or simply playing outdoors in sub-tropical Southwest Florida, one has to be concerned now more than ever about illness-bearing, biting bugs, especially ones carrying the Zika or West Nile viruses.Bug covered clients near madness often in a dark cloud of no-see-ums look at me in amazement asking, how can you stand it? Medita-tion, I reply.After years in Florida, even fire ants don't really sting me too badly anymore but I am concerned about the newest bug-borne threat and how best to protect myself and those in the boat asking for advice.Obviously covering up is step one ...

Angling access rights under fire

June 24, 2016

Between summer's dark brown water and Lake O discharges it's a wonder fish can see to eat.Fortunately, nature provided fish a lateral line to sense vibrations and good noses to find skip-casted ladyfish chunks like a couple of over-slot redfish did this past week. (Fishing within sight of ...

Stranded! No power, no toolbox

June 17, 2016

About 10 miles from the dock we had had enough. Had lots of fun, caught some fish and probably too much sun. Time to head home and a cool shower.Everything stowed I hit the key. Nothing, as in zero power to anything as we started drifting away from the shoreline. Just washed the boat, charged ...

AM/PM is right time now to fish

June 10, 2016

With hot water under the boat, lethargic fish and a blazing sun overhead you now wish you had set the alarm clock for two hours earlier. You should be finishing up by now and heading back to the dock.This is early morning or night fishing time and the early bird gets the best bite.Boat ready ...

On flats, permit are top target

June 3, 2016

Chances are when thinking of Southwest Florida fishing one normally thinks of chasing inshore fish like tarpon, trout, snook, or redfish or grouper for the offshore guys.The permit often is thought of as an exotic fish available only in the Keys or some very remote and expensive fly-in fishing ...

Changes for harvesting popular fish

May 27, 2016

Hurry if you want a snook to take home for dinner because snook season closes for recreational harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters starting June 1, including Everglades National Park and Monroe County, through Aug. 31.Reopening on Sept. 1 allows them time to spawn, providing ...