Bass tournament to benefit Crestview High School track team

Come enjoy great bass fishing on Black Creek, compete for cash and prizes, and support the Crestview High School Track Team. Meet at Black Creek Lodge in Freeport at daylight on Mar. 13. $50 per person. 50% payback, gift cards from Bass Pro Shop and Walmart. Special raffle for Quantum $320.00 rod and reel combo. Weigh in at 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Ernie Martin at 850-689-2570 eve. 850-689-7177 ext. 2460 day.

Posted under Fishing

Sand dunes along the outfall on Camp Creek Lake. Lori Ceier/Walton Outdoors

Recreational activities abound on these rare coastal dune lakes

Walton County Florida is well known for its beautiful beaches and great fishing. Less known to those that have never visited the area, are the unique and scenic coastal dune lakes that dot the coastline along the area’s beach dune systems.

Nestled along Scenic Highway 30A, Walton county’s coastal dune lakes are rare geological features that only occur in the Florida Panhandle, Madagascar, Australia, New Zealand and the northern Pacific coast of the United States.

Streams, groundwater seepage and rain are the sources that feed the coastal dune lakes. Storm surge creates intermittent connections to the Gulf of Mexico, called outfalls. This periodic connection empties lake water into the Gulf, and, depending on tides and weather, salt water and organisms from the Gulf flow back into the lakes. Read More…

Posted under Fishing, Nature, Outdoor Family Fun, Parks, paddle/surf/boat

Photo courtesy takemefishing.org

First 3,000 Floridians to purchase 5-year license gets free tackle, accessories and publications

Fish Busters’ Bulletin; March 2010
By Bob Wattendorf

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages families to enjoy all the pleasures of recreational fishing in Florida.  As a major partner in the Get Outdoors Florida! coalition (www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org), they recognize the importance of active nature-based recreation in developing happier, healthier and smarter lifestyles for our residents, as well as the added benefit of encouraging a conservation stewardship ethic among resource users.

The angling industry also recognizes the pride Floridians take in our state’s recreational fishing heritage and designation as Fishing Capital of the World.  According to the last several national surveys by the U.S. Census Bureau dealing with fishing and wildlife-associated recreation, more people fish in Florida than in any other state, and more tourists come here to fish and spend their money than anywhere else in the country. Like the FWC, the angling industry wants to keep it that way and knows the quality of fishing depends on great resources and responsible management.
Read More…

Posted under Fishing

Copeland’s Gun Shop

17290 U.S. Hwy. 331 S

Freeport, Florida 32439

(850) 835-4277

“The local’s shop and the tourists are welcome!”

Since 1982

Copeland’s Gun Shop in Freeport is your source for all hunting and fishing needs!
Hunting:
• Rifles, shotguns, handguns and ammunition
• Archery bows and equipment
• Cleaning supplies

Fishing:
• Tackle: Rods, reels, lures, jigs, hooks and much more
• Live bait: Crickets, fiddler crabs, bull minnows, crappie minnows, shrimp, worms

Store hours:
Mon. – Sat.: 6:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Sun.: 6:00 a.m. – 12 Noon

Posted under Fishing, Hunting

Season will reopen Apr. 1

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advises anglers that regulations prohibit the recreational harvest of all shallow-water groupers (gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind) from Feb. 1 through March 31 in all Gulf of Mexico waters off Florida, except in all waters of Monroe County.

Closing the recreational harvest of all Gulf shallow-water grouper species for two months each year during the spawning season reduces overfishing of Gulf gag grouper. It does this by limiting the unintended catch and possible mortality of gag grouper to help it rebuild its populations and achieve larger annual harvests in the future for this important species.
For more information regarding grouper fishing regulations, go to MyFWC.com/Rules and click on “Fishing – Saltwater.”
or  click here

Posted under Fishing

Photo courtesy of TakeMeFishing.org

Florida Fish Busters’ Bulletin

By Bob Wattendorf, FWC

It is that time of year again when freshwater anglers are taking advantage of the last of the winter crappie fishery and really looking forward to the spring spawn of bass and bream. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists have completed their analyses of the 2009 fishing data from creel studies (angler reported catches), electrofishing studies, Big Catch records and various measures of young-of-the-year sportfish production. In addition, they have considered habitat trends and reports from local fishing guides and bait-and-tackle shop operators in order to come up with a list of top fishing sites for 2010.

These lists include bass, bream, crappie, catfish and striper fisheries and are summarized below. In addition, regional biologists check with local fishing guides and bait-and-tackle shops quarterly (January, April, July, and October) to get insights into how major fisheries are producing and what anglers are using to find success on a variety of lakes and rivers throughout the year. All of that information, along with fishing tips, is available to improve your fishing success at MyFWC.com/Fishing/ , and then click on “fishing sites and forecasts.”

January’s cold snap set several records and caused significant fish kills in fresh water areas. Fortunately for the resource and most users, those kills were primarily limited to nonnatve fishes such as tilapia and sucker mouth catfish. Thus with the possible exception of peacock bass in Southeast Florida, the cold snap should not have adversely impacted the overall freshwater fishing prognosis for 2010.

Panhandle area featured species
Site – Size and Counties – Featured species
Apalachicola River/Lake Seminole -106 miles/37,500 acres, Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun     
Striped bass, channel, flathead and blue catfish
Read More…

Posted under Fishing, Outdoor Family Fun

Locals prepare for peaceful protest against pending legislation on Feb. 13, 2010

As the pending legislation for near shore oil drilling looms over the coastlines of Florida’s beautiful beaches, local businessman, Dave Rauschkolb has taken action to protest and bring awareness to the public.

Rauschkolb has created ‘Hands Across The Sand’  as an action dedicated to protecting our coastline and waterways from the devastating environmental effects of oil exploration and support industries, and are organizing a protest along the Gulf Coast.

Mission Statement
1. To raise awareness about pending Florida legislation to drill for oil in our coastal waters.
2. To organize a Gulf coast wide and perhaps a statewide coastal movement to protest this legislation. This protest will bring thousands of Florida citizens to our beaches and will draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against near shore oil drilling in our waters. This event will be held on Saturday February 13, 2010.
3.  To convince our Legislators and Governor to drop any and all Legislation that would allow this folly.

Walton County area beach locations:

Main Protest Site: Seagrove Beach to Grayton Beach
(parking in Seaside and at the Van Ness Butler Jr. Beach Access between Watercolor and Seaside)

Additional Protest Sites with ample parking: Blue Mountain Beach Access, Dune Allen Beach Access, Ed Walline Beach Access, Gulfview Heights Beach Access, Inlet Beach Access, Miramar Beach Access

For more information, go to http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/

Posted under Birding, Fishing, Kayak/Canoe, Nature, paddle/surf/boat

Snook closure extended until September, temporarily closes bonefish and tarpon season until April

Catch-and-release fishing still allowed

•    Executive Order 10-02 (Dead Fish) Click here
•    Executive Order 10-03 (Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish) Click here
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has issued executive orders to protect Florida’s snook, bonefish and tarpon fisheries from further harm caused by the recent prolonged cold weather in the state, which has caused widespread saltwater fish kills.  The FWC has received numerous reports from the public and is taking action to address the conservation needs of affected marine fisheries.  The orders also will allow people to legally dispose of dead fish in the water and on the shore.
One of the executive orders temporarily extends closed fishing seasons for snook statewide until September.  It also establishes temporary statewide closed seasons for bonefish and tarpon until April because of the prolonged natural cold weather event that caused significant, widespread mortality of saltwater fish in Florida.  The other order temporarily suspends certain saltwater fishing regulations to allow people to collect and dispose of dead fish killed by the cold weather.

Read More…

Posted under Fishing

New changes eliminates non-residents without existing permit, limits boat captains to 20

Walton County Commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of a new beach permit ordinance on Jan. 12, tightening the amount of beach access permits issued.  The new ordinance prohibits non-residents from attaining new permits unless they already have current permit issued. In addition, there will be no more than 20 charter fishing operation permits issued, and charter operations must pay additional fee for trailer.

Highlights of the new ordinance include:
For residents:
• Owner’s property must have constructed on it a habitable residence and proof of real property ownership must be presented to tax collector
• Vehicle being registered must be titled in the name of the permit holder
Read More…

Posted under Fishing

10 day closure will enable FWC-authorized groups to collect lost and abandoned blue crab traps

The harvest of blue crabs from traps will not be allowed from Jan. 5 through Jan. 14 in all waters of Franklin County west to the Florida-Alabama border, except all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay.

This closure will give authorized groups the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the coastal and inland waters in this area.

All commercial and recreational blue crab traps within three nautical miles from shore and in the inland waters of Franklin County west to the Florida-Alabama border, except all waters of the Ochlockonee River and Ochlockonee Bay, must be removed before the start of the 10-day closed period.
Read More…

Posted under Fishing