big bend
30th Annual Big Bend Saltwater Classic Fishing Tournament, Wakulla County, June 13-16, 2018
Everyone of the Big Bend is happy to have the Big Bend Saltwater Classic back at Shield’s Marina in St. Marks! The Big Bend Saltwater Classic fishing tournament was launched in 1989 by The Organization for Artificial Reefs, Inc, (OAR), a private, non-profit, marine interest group based in Tallahassee,Florida. To date, it …
Scallop Harvest Forecast Numbers Will Be Released At The 2018 Scallop Seminar at Steinhatchee, June 15, 7PM
The BIG summertime event on Natural North Florida’s Big Bend is the recreational bay scalloping harvest. Our best waters are found between Horseshoe Beach in Dixie County and Steinhatchee in Taylor County. Bay scalloping is also allowed in Wakulla County, near St. Marks and Panacea. General information regarding the scallop harvest can be found at …
Natural North Florida’s 2018 Bay Scallop Season Opens Soon!
Pinning down the dates for the 2018 bay scalloping season isn’t as easy as it’s been in past years. Essentially, our most popular scalloping areas (Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach and Horseshoe Beach) open on June 16, while northern parts of Taylor County (not including Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach) and Wakulla County open on July 1. The …
“The Granddaddy of All Tournaments”–Optimist Club of Perry Saltwater Fishing Tournament, at Steinhatchee, May 5, 2018
Now in its 27th year, the annual Optimist Club of Perry, FL Saltwater Fishing Tournament has become one of the largest fishing events on Natural North Florida’s Big Bend. While Perry is landlocked, it’s the county seat of Taylor County, which has some of the best saltwater angling in the state. And appropriately, the event …
Plan Ahead For 2018–FWC discusses regional bay scallop seasons on Big Bend
This information may not be “official”, but our guess is that it will likely become so before Florida’s recreational bay scallop season begins in 2018: At its December meeting in Gainesville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) discussed draft changes that would create regionally-specific bay scallop open seasons and would allow a trial …
Florida’s 2017 Stone Crab Season Now Open–At Full Steam!
Florida’s 2017 stone crab season opened on October 15 and runs until May 15, 2018. This year’s crop is excellent and there should be no shortages of these delicious crab claws throughout the winter months. Stone crabs are the perfect appetizer or main course. You’ll find them served cold or hot, with any number of …
Don’t Miss Panacea’s “Cluster Shuck” Oyster Fest, October 22, 2017
The date has changed due to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Nate! We hope to see you on the 22nd! There’s an “R” in “October”– –and that means it’s time to eat oysters! What a great way to spend an October afternoon than to eat oysters at one of Natural North Florida’s premiere fishing communities, Panacea. Located in …
Paddle Florida’s Big Bend Coastline At The 2017 Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure, October 11-14
If you’re an avid paddler, consider joining 99 others at the 2017 Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure. This year’s 4 day trip will depart the Steinhatchee River and head south to Yankeetown, on the scenic Withlacoochee River. On the trip, you’ll see wildlife and “Natural North Florida” at places like Horseshoe Beach, Suwannee, and Cedar Key. …
2017 Bay Scalloping On Florida’s Nature Coast–An Abundance of Tasty Bivalves!
It’s July, and Natural North Florida’s 2017 recreational bay scallop harvest is off to a roaring start. The harvest began on June 16 for the waters from Suwannee (in Dixie County) to the Fenholloway River (in Taylor County) and ends on September 10. The remainder of Taylor County, all of Levy County, Jefferson and Wakulla …
Fishing Natural North Florida? Great Resources Abound for Fresh and Salt Water Anglers!
With the longest stretch of unsettled saltwater coastline in the continental United States, one of the longest unobstructed rivers in the U.S. and the largest concentration of first magnitude springs and spring-fed streams, our 14-county Natural North Florida region holds unbelievable fishing resources. Our Gulf Coast stretches from Panacea, in Wakulla County, to Yankeetown, in …