Fishing

By Cali Hlavac, To Do In Destin If you’ve wandered around any dock inside the Destin Harbor, you might have looked down to see some very large fish swimming below and wondering what kind they were. Often referred to as the “Big Ugly” by fishermen around the area, these monster...

Featured Site: Lower Blackwater River - Striped Bass Fishing Size: 58 miles long (49 miles in Florida) Location: Okaloosa through Santa Rosa County Description: The Blackwater River, located in the Florida Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) Northwest Region here in our area, is a 58-mile-long river of which 49 miles are in Florida. The...

The Emerald Coast is home to some of the most diverse and dynamic ecosystems in the world, so abundant with marine life that it is no surprise that it attracts anglers from all over. Our waters, stretching from rivers to the Gulf, host some of the best fishing on...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced the proposed delisting of the Okaloosa darter from the threatened and endangered list under the Endangered Species Act. The population is being managed so well, the small fish is making major strides in its fight for recovery, according to the USFWS....

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) in partnership with the South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) join two of South Walton’s most cherished resources, the arts and the Gulf of Mexico, with the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA). Named by TIME Magazine as one of 100 of...

This is the time of year for migrating manatees! So, slow down and look out for them. As water temperatures cool, manatees naturally migrate to warmer waters, generally warmer than 68 degrees to survive the winter. So, in the fall they travel to Florida springs, power plant discharges and...

By Cali Hvlac As colder temps roll in, we are starting to notice different species of fish migrate into our Gulf waters – specifically Flounder and Sheepshead. The cooler weather means the fish will school up in one area, making them easier to catch once you track them down. Flounder and...

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Saltwater Angler Recognition program, Catch a Florida Memory, celebrated it’s five-year anniversary by achieving more than 20,000 approved angler catches, many from our local area. The program that launched in October of 2016 has seen tremendous growth over the years with...

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with Wildlife Forever, will host the Florida State Fish Art Contest again this year. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can compete in this free contest for a chance to win state and national honors and prizes. This program...

By Cali Hvalac, To Do In Destin 2021 marks the 73rd Annual Fishing Rodeo in “The World’s Luckiest Village” and with it comes the return of many events that were canceled in the previous year, prompting community excitement. Since its inception in 1948, the Destin Fishing Rodeo has expanded into one...