In Okaloosa County, an artificial reef is a fun and satisfying site for fishing, diving and snorkeling that is easily accessible for us all. Our area’s artificial reefs consist of anything from concrete piles to specifically designed modules and even large shipwrecks.
Our area has one of the most active...
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently named the winners of the summer-long, statewide, lionfish tournament which ended Sept. 6 and two Okaloosa County residents placed first and second in the 7th Annual Lionfish Challenge.
Congratulations to Isaac Jones who won first place in the recreational division with...
With summer in full swing, many people are working and recreating near Florida’s lakes, rivers and wetland areas. Warm temperatures also mean alligators are more active and visible. While serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends taking the following...
By Cali Hlavac
For us locals, it’s time to begin getting ready for this year’s Fishing Rodeo season—a Destin tradition since 1948! And each year it gets better and better with several new events in the upcoming lineup.
New for 2022: The Extended Voyage Division will get an expansion, adding five...
By Frank Berte
Destin Fishing Rodeo’s Weighmaster extraordinaire. A seemingly simple man with a complex, tangled past. A man who, to some, has become synonymous with the very Rodeo itself has lived a far more tangled past. His fascination with fish has been lifelong, as has his chronic sea sickness....
By Cali Hvalac, To Do In Destin
The Boathouse Summer Slam fishing tournament runs through Aug. 7 and is a way for captains to compete for bragging rights and cash prizes by weighing their fish daily. Organized by Boathouse Oyster Bar, weighmaster Amber(jack) Helton is on site every day meeting...
In celebration of World Coral Reef Awareness Day, Starborough Wine partnered with Reefmaker, the largest reef builder in the U.S., to deploy its first limestone reef two miles off the coast of Fort Walton Beach in June. It is designed to help maintain and rebuild ocean habitats off the...
On April 28, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Eglin Air Force Base’s Integrated Test Team demonstrated a new low-cost, air-delivered capability for defeating maritime threats, that successfully destroyed a full-scale surface vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. The vessel was the COURAGEOUS and our Coastal Resource Team was...
The recreational red snapper season started June 17 in Gulf state and federal waters off Florida and will remain open through July 31 with 12 days in the fall.
The Gulf federal season for for-hire operations with federal reef fish permits begins June 1 and will close at 12:01 a.m....
