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Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
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September 26, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Get ready for fabulous fall fishing

Get ready for fabulous fall fishing

The first cold front is probably still a month or more away, but fish are showing up and now is a great time to prepare for the fall season, getting tackle in order and keeping an eye on the sky for…
September 19, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Suncoast Waterkeeper to host ‘Value of Wetlands’ panel

Development and the environment can be compatible. While I know that might seem like an antithetical statement, when greed and power don’t cloud the big picture, it becomes obvious that sustainable g…
September 11, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Opposition mounts against wetlands reduction

When the Manatee County Board of Commissioners voted 6-1 (Commissioner George Kruse voted no) to reduce wetland buffers in the county, the audience at the meeting reacted with an audible burst of ang…
September 4, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Exploring FWC’s School Fishing Club Program

Now that the new school year is in session, it is time to register for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) 2023-24 School Fishing Club Program! This annual educational pro…
September 1, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Sarasota Bay Watch Scallop Search resumes

Sarasota Bay Watch Scallop Search resumes

Sarasota Bay Watch, a local nonprofit, is dedicated to educating and enlisting the Sarasota Bay community to act to preserve and protect our waters. Some community efforts include cleanups, above and…
August 23, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Vote water

Readers of this column have heard me recommend checking a politician’s voting record before casting a vote for them. Why? All too often they will tell you what you want to hear to get your vote but n…
August 15, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Suncoast Waterkeeper urges protection of wetlands

In a recent column, I reported how state rules and regulations passed during the DeSantis legislative session limited the protection of local waters at a time when the threat to water quality and hab…
August 8, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Florida Sea Grant needs boaters’ help

Florida Sea Grant needs boaters’ help

If you’re a boater, Sea Grant can use your help. If you are a reader of this column, you know that our waters are suffering from too many nutrients, the various forms of insults that lead to devastat…
July 31, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Generation Alpha speaks out for the future

It seems a little unfair that short-sighted decisions made by politicians in 2023 can have such a profound effect on the future of those who still have no voice in those choices. That’s why it’s impo…
July 24, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Become a Florida-friendly angler

Become a Florida-friendly angler

If you’re new to Florida or need a refresher course in the basic practices of ethical angling, the Florida Sea Grant program has just the course for you – the Florida Friendly Angler Program. With f…
July 17, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Suncoast Waterkeeper christens new patrol boat

Suncoast Waterkeeper christens new patrol boat

Island residents have two opportunities to join in on the christening of Suncoast Waterkeeper’s new patrol boat and the launch of Eyes on the Suncoast, an improved citizen pollution and habitat monit…
July 11, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Hot weather strategy

Reel Time: Hot weather strategy

Anglers are no strangers to Dog Days, those hot, sultry times when even the lizards are lurking in the shadows. We know that a change of strategy will be in order soon. What we are strangers to is th…
July 3, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis
Legislation imperils local waters

Reel Time: Legislation imperils local waters

At a time when the need to move water quality issues in a positive direction should be crystal clear, decisionmakers (and, by default, the citizens who elected them) are weakening protections that ar…
June 26, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Fly casting mastery

Teaching fly casting has taught me some valuable lessons. Chief among them is the fact that it’s most often easier to learn from scratch using the fundamentals (physics) of the cast than it is to cor…
June 21, 2023
By Rusty Chinnis

Suncoast Waterkeeper opposes fish farm

In a press release last week, Suncoast Waterkeeper and a coalition of ocean advocates announced their opposition to what they called a bait-and-switch permit application for the Velella Epsilon indus…