Fishing

By Kenneth Books Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay, it’s natural for local residents to take to the water and try to land that trophy fish. But there’s more to fishing than baiting a hook and casting a line. No one is born with fishing skills. And,...

By Cali Hlavac Crystal LaFosse had a vision of starting a fishing club through all her work in the fishing industry, and 2022 was the year she brought that dream to life: The Emerald Coast Big Game Fishing Club was born. As the Founder and Director of the Emerald Coast Big...

The Ships Chandler broke ground on the second phase of their marine and service center, located at 17309 US Hwy 331 in Freeport in March. The Ships Chandler originally broke ground on the first phase of the project in March 2021. Constructed by Chapman Building and Consulting and designed by...

Okaloosa County’s Coastal Resource Team with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism recently initiated and assisted a team of researchers in identifying and tagging devil rays in the Gulf of Mexico. While installing three miles of sand fencing on Okaloosa Island in 2021, members of the Coastal Resource team noticed a number...

The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department (TDD) Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism continues to focus their efforts on ecotourism with the deployment of the research vessel R/V MANTA. This expansion supports a long-term vision of continuing to grow as a sought-after destination for those seeking premier fishing and diving opportunities....

The Gulfarium’s C.A.R.E. Center successfully released three rehabilitated sea turtles Jan. 11 at Topsail Hill State Park. Grace, an adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, weighs 70 pounds. She was found entangled in a buoy line on July 23. Stranding coordinator Tabitha Siegfried paired up with Fort Walton Beach Parasailing...

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has retained Atkins Global to conduct a study in Florida to better understand the impacts of long-term stored vessels. Feedback from residents, business owners, visitors and others who use and enjoy Florida’s waters is a crucial part of the research. The intent...

Flounder Recreational Harvest Reopens The recreational harvest of flounder in all Florida state and federal waters reopened Dec. 1. The minimum size limit for flounder is 14 inches total length and the daily recreational bag limit is five fish per person. Learn more about flounder regulations at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking...

Thanks to a sizable grant from The St. Joe Community Foundation, a Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation program designed to assist local teachers will soon be expanding into Walton County. The St. Joe Community Foundation will be presenting a check for $96,175 at the Walton County School District meeting on...

Go Slow, Look Out Below This time of year, it’s important for boaters to go slow and lookout below to watch for manatees as they travel to warmer water sites around the state. Manatees depend on water generally warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive the winter. So, in the fall...