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Outdoors

Beach, Outdoors

Manatee County Beach Patrol named Beach Patrol of the Year

Feb 11, 2026 – Joe Hendricks
January 28, 2026
By Leslie Lake

Friends of the Pelicans founder outlines hazards to brown pelicans

HOLMES BEACH – More than 70 people attended a Jan. 22 presentation by Friends of the Pelicans Inc. founder Jeanette Edwards. The presentation was given at the Island Branch Library and those who a…
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January 28, 2026
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: The Secret

Rusty Chinnis explores “the secret” to fly casting.
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January 21, 2026
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: The Price of Inattention

I first wrote an article with a similar title more than four and a half years ago, but I thought it was appropriate to revisit that topic given the constant challenges facing anglers and the waters t…
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January 13, 2026
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: Why Mullet Jump

Reel Time: Why Mullet Jump

While I was sitting by the bay the other day a mullet jumped right in front of me. That’s not unusual if you spend anytime near the water, and it elicited memories of stories I’ve heard over the year…
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January 6, 2026
By Leslie Lake
Mullet fishermen reporting a good season

Mullet fishermen reporting a good season

CORTEZ – Fish house employees and fishermen are calling this mullet season one of the best in recent memory as Cortez fish houses are filling up with mullet brought in by private fishermen.  Two of…
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January 5, 2026
By Rusty Chinnis
Reel Time: A New Winter Strategy

Reel Time: A New Winter Strategy

Winter can have a chilling effect on local anglers and limit their quarry, but those who know how to mine the riches of any season turn their attention to the species that actually thrives in cold wa…
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January 2, 2026
By Leslie Lake
Derelict boats concern Palma Sola Bay residents and boaters

Derelict boats concern Palma Sola Bay residents and boaters

PALMA SOLA BAY – As captain of Anne’s Calmwater Charters, Anne Huber enjoys sharing her knowledge about manatees, dolphins and the local waters, but there is one question she’s often asked that’s di…
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December 30, 2025
By Rusty Chinnis
Resolutions that bear fruit

Resolutions that bear fruit

New Year’s resolutions are an annual ritual that goes back over 4,000 years. The earli­est known resolutions come from the ancient Babylonians. During their Akitu New Year festival (held in March), p…
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December 22, 2025
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: Rebuilding oyster habitat

On Dec. 20, Oyster River Ecology (ORE) board member Rob Brown and I participated in an ORE rag pot installation in the upper Manatee River near Redfish Point. The volunteer event, a partnership with…
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December 16, 2025
By Rusty Chinnis

Reel Time: We protect what we love

Several years ago, I remember watching a tribute to the late John Lewis, the Black American politician and civil-rights leader. Lewis encouraged people to speak up and act when they see wrongs that n…
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Upcoming Events

April 9, 2025
11:45 am

The Off-Stage Ladies of the Island Players, April luncheon meeting