Fishing

By Frank Berte Way back in 1948, the very first Fishing Rodeo was held in Destin! Seventy-five years ago, this bustling international hotbed of the world’s vacationing elite was an entirely different scene. Northwest Florida was still a wild place, full of pine forests, large land animals and a staggering abundance of...

By Will Estell If you are a full-time or part-time resident of any of the beach towns and coastal communities that dot Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast you’ve likely heard a thing or two about the Artificial Reef Program initiated and managed by Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism. As much as the program has...

By Nick Tomecek, Okaloosa County PIO The Coastal Resource team with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism in Okaloosa County recently participated in a collaborative effort that led to the tagging of two whale sharks, Ivey and Oliver, in the Gulf of Mexico south of Destin-Fort...

Summer is in full swing and so is the busy fishing season in our area. If you plan on targeting reef fish from a vessel on one of your upcoming fishing trips, make sure you have a descending device and/or venting tool rigged and ready in case...

FacebookTwitterEmailShare Locals and summer visitors traveling by car can access the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) via Grayton Beach State Park, which offers parking, showers, restrooms, changing rooms and a beach walkover. Once you arrive at the park, the UMA site lies...

The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center has taken in 89 patients this year and, so far, has released 58 of them. In July, six sea turtles, four Loggerheads, one Kemps Ridley, and one Green were able to return to the Gulf of Mexico. Several dedicated C.A.R.E...

By Nick Tomecek, Okaloosa County PIO Divers participating in the 5th Annual Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament set a new record with the successful removal of 24,699 lionfish! Last year’s total was 13,835. Divers from throughout the country competed for prize money totaling more than $100,000 in an effort to eradicate this invasive species...

By Cali Hlavac It’s Cobia Season on the Emerald Coast, a short window of time each year where the cobia migration rolls through our waters and fishermen ride high in their towers trying to spot them. However, things are looking a bit different around here this year, with very minimal...

Signs of spring – balmy weather, blooming flowers and nesting birds – are occurring. Warmer temperatures also mean alligators are more active and visible. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recommends taking precautions when in and around the water: While serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in...

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,...