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Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
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November 27, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis
Lefty Kreh

Reel Time: Master your knots

Fishing tackle and techniques become more technical with each passing year, but some components of the angling experience have never changed. You can own the latest tackle, employ the most refined te…
November 20, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis
reel time Clam Drop

Reel Time: Sarasota Bay Watch clams survive red tide

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is excited that the clams they introduced into Sarasota Bay this past summer survived the recent red tide outbreak, an outbreak that included the highest concentrations of Ka…
November 13, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Preparing for fall fishing

Fall is here even though it may not feel like it. We still have the windows and doors closed and the AC on, but the light and the cool mornings are teasing us with the promise of change.  The golden…
November 6, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: The Zen of fishing

The ancient word and concept of Zen have been co-opted to refer to things as diverse as a nail salon and a burger bar. The term comes from (massively oversimplified) a form of Eastern Meditation that…
October 23, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Yaz Crossing

The Gulf and flats that surround Anna Maria Island were just a day’s drive to the south, but they felt a world away as we made our way down the steps at Yaz Crossing to the banks of the Chattahoochee…
October 9, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Reflections

While fishing might seem challenging to the average angler, there are definitely some bright spots in what has been a perplexing season. Seasoned guides like Captains Scott and Justin Moore and Capta…
October 2, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Sarasota Bay Watch active during red tide

Sarasota Bay Watch (SBW) is committed to the health of the bay and has been working tirelessly to help people find ways to feel invested in working on improved habitat and water quality. Their work t…
September 25, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Fly fishing the Deschutes

The sky was just beginning to lighten as my wife Christine and I crossed the high desert from Bend, Oregon on our way to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation and a rendezvous with our guide Elke Kirk…
September 12, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time on the road: Fishing the South Georgia coast

While on a recent trip to St. Marys and Cumberland Island, Ga., I had the great pleasure of being introduced to the area’s fishing by Captain David Edens from nearby St. Simon’s Island. I found Edens…
September 5, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time

Reel Time: On the road to St. Marys and Cumberland Island, Ga.

This past week I had the pleasure of an adventure to coastal Georgia when I accompanied my wife to a tai chi workshop in St. Marys. St. Marys is the gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore, th…
August 29, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: The good, the bad and the ugly

This past Sunday morning I launched my boat to check out the red tide situation and look for places to fish. In the process what I found both discouraged and encouraged me.  The condition of local wa…
August 7, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Sarasota Bay Watch provides a vehicle for change

If you’re like me, you can’t help but be dismayed with the death and destruction of marine life that is occurring on the west and east coasts of Florida. Pictures of dead fish, manatees, dolphin a…
July 31, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Beat the summer heat

Late summer is always a challenging time for local anglers. The bizarre conditions of the last two weeks have complicated things with oppressive heat and strong westerly winds. This morning the weath…
July 17, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Trade show features fishing gear

On Wednesday, July 11, I attended ICAST, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades held in Orlando, Fla. I made the trip with Steve Traves, owner of AMI Outfitters, and Capt. Casey L…
July 3, 2018
By Rusty Chinnis

Protecting and preserving the Gulf

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes. – Marcel Proust As I read Jack Davis’ new novel, “Gulf, The Making of An American Sea” this quote by the semi…