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Rusty Chinnis

Rusty Chinnis

March 7, 2017
Rusty Chinnis is The Sun’s Outdoors columnist.
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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…
July 9, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Catch and release

Taking care when we release fish we don’t intend to keep has never been more important. While most anglers are aware that fish populations are vulnerable and not the endless resource we once thought…
July 1, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Resilience Incubator launches

On June 27, I had the pleasure of attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Sarasota for the new offices of Suncoast Waterkeeper and 10 other leading non-profit organizations that are joining forces a…
June 25, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Eyes on seagrass

Eyes on seagrass

Readers of this column know the importance of seagrass to the health of the region’s bays, estuaries, fisheries, fauna and economy. These critical meadows are under threat from overdevelopment, storm…
June 19, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Volunteers clean up Bowlees Creek

Volunteers clean up Bowlees Creek

This past Saturday, I attended Suncoast Aqua Venture’s large-scale cleanup of Bowlees Creek, a 4.8-mile stream in Manatee County just north of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. This body…
June 11, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Brigadoon

Brigadoon

The legend of Brigadoon is the story of a mythical village in the Scottish Highlands. It’s a tale of a place that became enchanted long ago and has remained unchanged and invisible to the outside wor…
June 4, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Vote water

Vote water

Readers of this column are well aware of the critical state of our coastal waters in Manatee County and beyond. The Dapis (lyngbya) blooms that have persisted from 2020 to this year have brought the…
May 28, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

FWC announces 2024 Lionfish Challenge

If you’re a diver, you’ve seen first-hand how lionfish invade the reefs and threaten the balance that sustains many offshore species. You’ve probably also heard of the Lionfish Challenge, an opportun…
May 21, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis
Carpe diem

Carpe diem

The sound wasn’t exactly deafening but it enveloped me as I stepped out of the car at the boat ramp. Located on the South Carolina side of Lake Russell, an impoundment of the Savannah River, the fore…
May 14, 2024
By Rusty Chinnis

Try a beach fishing adventure

Are you an accidental angler? Someone who might not be passionate about fishing but who has always wondered what all the hype is about? Maybe you’re an avid freshwater angler from the north unfamilia…