Skip to main content
Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
Email Rusty Chinnis
November 28, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
November 24, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Successful trip planning

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 se…
November 21, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Fall and winter wading

Many anglers think that wade fishing is a warm water activity, but fall and winter wading can produce some fantastic results and gives you many advantages over anglers fishing from a boat. Getting in…
November 5, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Island business owners rebuild, collaborate, rebound

Hurricanes Helene and Milton took a toll on Anna Maria Island businesses, which are showing their resilience in working together to rebuild and reopen to serve their clientele. AMI Outfitters and An…
October 29, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Suncoast Waterkeeper’s Brunch for the Bay

Suncoast Waterkeeper is holding its annual brunch for the bay fundraiser at a different venue this year. Get ready for an inspiring and impactful event featuring a powerhouse lineup of expert spe…
September 23, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Water matters

Water matters

Two years ago, I had the honor of meeting Dr. John Bowden, who was collecting samples in the area for a study of PFAS (forever chemicals) in local waters. Bowden is an associate professor at the Univ…
September 17, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Pitch in at cleanup for cash prizes

Pitch in at cleanup for cash prizes

Suncoast Aqua Ventures is hosting the Eighth Annual Suncoast Reef and Beach Cleanup, which offers a unique opportunity to win money and prizes while having a positive effect on the coastal environmen…
September 10, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time on the Road: Magic on the mesa

Two weeks ago, I reported that my wife, Chris, and I were traveling to Colorado, occasioned by an invitation from friends. Two weeks in Durango with side trips to Mesa Verde and a vintage train ride…
September 3, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Voters speak out for water

Voters speak out for water

I knew that the citizens of Manatee County cared about water quality and preserving the coastal ecosystem. That was apparent when they voted to tax themselves for the Vote Water and Land Referendum i…
August 27, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: On the road

Reel Time: On the road

When my wife, Christine, and I got an invitation to fish a part of Colorado we had never visited, we jumped at the chance. Our good friend, Jimmy Harris, owner of Unicoi Outfitters in Helen, Georgia…
August 20, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

New weather reality threatens local waters

Reel Time was conceived as a fishing column, a way to spread information on a passion that you and I as anglers and environmentalists share. I include environmentalists because with time, you begin t…
August 5, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
First-ever Hudson Bayou cleanup successful

First-ever Hudson Bayou cleanup successful

It was a fantastic way to spend a Sunday! On July 28, Sarasota Bay Watch was the lead organization in the new Resilience Incubator’s first community cleanup at Hudson Bayou in Sarasota. With the help…
July 30, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Perico, Palma Sola cleanup Saturday

Perico, Palma Sola cleanup Saturday

Once again, Anna Maria Island residents who care about our local waters will have a chance to get involved in cleaning them up during the upcoming Suncoast Aqua Ventures water-based cleanup on Saturd…
July 23, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Vote water to ensure fishing future

Wikipedia defines the term “enlightened self-interest” as a philosophy in ethics when persons who act to further the interests of others ultimately serve their interests. It has often been simply exp…
July 17, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Restoration efforts go big

Restoration efforts go big

On July 14, I had the pleasure of working with Damon Moore from Oyster River Ecology (ORE) and a film crew from the Ringling College digital filmmaking program to document and install 1,050 vertical…

Upcoming Events

View Calendar