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Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
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November 1, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Keep an eye out for cobia

Reel Time: Keep an eye out for cobia

As the waters cool in the Tampa Bay region, savvy anglers know it’s time to start looking for cobia in area waters. These feisty game fish can grow to over 100 pounds, and 50- to 60-poun…
October 25, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Join cleanup, win prizes

Reel Time: Join cleanup, win prizes

Want to get dirty and have a terrific time in the process? Meet like-minded people and go away knowing you’ve left the bay better than you found it? You have the opportunity at this year’s Su…
October 17, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Courtesy - An angler’s rules of the road

Reel Time: Courtesy – An angler’s rules of the road

Fall fishing is with us and, once again, anglers will be chasing schooling fish along the Gulf beaches. This is a good time to remember the angling “rules of the road” to be sure everyone h…
October 11, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Memories of Matlacha

Reel Time: Memories of Matlacha

No one who lives on the coast of Florida has escaped the fury of a hurricane in one form or another. Here on the Suncoast, we’ve managed to dodge the worst of the damage that these increasingly frequ…
October 10, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Brunch for the Bay 2022

Reel Time: Brunch for the Bay 2022

Brunch for a cause with Suncoast Waterkeeper at the group’s annual Brunch for the Bay fundraiser. This year’s brunch will be held at the Bradenton Yacht Club on Saturday, Oct. 15 from noon to 3 p…
September 19, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Fall fishing forecast - fun

Reel Time: Fall fishing forecast – fun

Fall is in the air. Most of our windows and doors are still closed and the AC is on, but the light and the cooling mornings hold the promise of change. This is a change ushered in by coole…
September 12, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Celebrate the bay

Reel Time: Celebrate the bay

The communities that line Sarasota Bay are fortunate to have an active National Estuary Program centered right here in Manatee and Sarasota counties. First named in the newly-minted Water Quality…
September 5, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Catch and release redux

Reel Time: Catch and release redux

Catch and release is a term I haven’t heard much recently. I’ve actually seen postings on social media that make me wonder if maybe this important conservation tool needs to be revisited. Catch and r…
August 29, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Meet Suncoast Waterkeeper’s Abbey Tyrna

Suncoast Waterkeeper’s new Executive Director Abbey Tyrna brings an impressive record of accomplishments to the organization. Tyrna received her doctorate in geography from Pennsylvania State Univ…
August 22, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Planning a successful fishing trip

Reel Time: Planning a successful fishing trip

Planning any fishing trip can be a challenge given the peculiarities of weather and the idiosyncrasies of fish. Add a few thousand miles, a different language and an exotic species or two, and some s…
August 16, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Mangroves – Critical habitats

Reel Time: Mangroves – Critical habitats

To local fishers, the importance of mangroves is evident. Intertwined with the twisted roots, there’s a web of life that’s inextricably bound to the snook, redfish, trout, flounder, grouper and a ple…
August 8, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: The ups and downs of tides

Reel Time: The ups and downs of tides

I’ve written about tides before, but I’m constantly being reminded of the importance of understanding them to the success of any given fishing trip. Having said that, I must admit that the more I lea…
August 2, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: You have to do your homework, son

Reel Time: You have to do your homework, son

For anglers who aren’t familiar with Andy and (son) Nicky Mill’s podcast, Mill House, you have a treat in store. I’ve watched the podcasts from the beginning but had recently not been following them…
July 25, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Beware the rays

The harmful effects of sun exposure are one of the most important things for anglers to understand when they’re fishing Florida waters, especially in the late summer. The sunlight that drives the cyc…
July 18, 2022
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: The price of inaction

Reel Time: The price of inaction

Red tide. They’re probably the two words that nobody on or near Florida’s west coast wants to hear and I can understand why, sort of. Someone who owns a resort hotel, has a restaurant on or near the…