Movements, management, stock status, biology and commercial and recreational fisheries for the world’s billfish species will be the focus of the sixth International Billfish Symposium Sept. 14-17 …
Win a Bimini Big Game Club Getaway at the Miami Boat Show
25 Jan 20116:41 PM
Come see Team Bimini Big Game Club at the Miami Boat Show Feb 17 – 21 and register for a chance to win a 5-day/4-night BBGC getaway, which includes a complimentary stay in a luxury suite as well as free dockage! You can find us in booth #2209 in the Big Game Room (where else would we be?!?) and in booth #1979 in the Dive & Travel Room.
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![](mailto:?subject=The Most Wonderful Season of All to Visit St. Augustine&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3089 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/staxmas.jpg?w=300" alt="StAXmas" width="300" height="180" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Help a dolphin paint a picture; get a stair-climbing workout like no other; eat great seafood; take a walk in the woods; light up the night; and tour one of the oldest standing structures in North America.
These are just some of the experiences awaiting you in St. Augustine -- one of America's oldest cities-- located on the northeast Florida coast. Beach, history, natural wonders, art, and lots of opportunities to eat and drink distinguish the First Coast from the rest of the Sunshine State.
Here's just a small sampling of what you can see and do in a couple of days:
<a href="http://www.marineland.net" target="_blank">MARINELAND DOLPHIN ADVENTURE</a>
I stumbled into this venerated attraction without reservations on an afternoon when the staff was setting up for a wedding. Wandering around, I came upon a large open tank where several dolphins were making jaw-clapping noises on the surface. I stopped to snap a photo and one of them came right up to me and grinned into the camera. Then I got yelled at by a volunteer who said I was in a restricted area.
Whatever. If you make advance reservations, you can touch and feed the animals; swim with them; and hold a canvas over the water while the dolphin paints a picture-- among other adventures. You can also check out the sea turtle and shark tanks holding clients from the University of Florida's Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience headquartered right across the street.
I bet that wedding was a doozy.
<a href="http://www.blackflytherestaurant.com" target="_blank">BLACKFLY, THE RESTAURANT</a>
Hungry after my impromptu dolphin encounter, I visited Blackfly, the Restaurant on St. Augustine Beach, operated by Vaughn Cochran and partners and renowned for delicious sushi and other seafood.
Cochran-- an artist, former flats fishing guide, lodge operator and now owner of the top fly shop in nearby Jacksonville-- has helped create the region's only saltwater fly-fishing-themed eatery. Incorporating elements of prized recipes from the various lodges Cochran ran in the Caribbean and Central America, Blackfly specializes in local fish with creative touches.
I dined on local sheepshead in a tasty tomato-bacon beurre rouge sauce accompanied by mashed potatoes and bok choy. Yum. And even better, I got to go fly -fishing with Cochran and guide captain James Dumas the next day and we all caught and released redfish on the flats.
<a href="http://www.staugustinelighthouse.org" target="_blank">AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MARITIME MUSEUM</a>
If you think your Stairmaster workout at the gym is tough, check out what the 19th century lighthouse keepers had to do to keep this beacon going and prevent ships from running aground: climbing 219 stairs carrying a 30-pound can of lard oil four times a day every day. Heck, I was winded walking to the top toting nothing heavier than my purse. But once there, you will be treated to panoramic views of the ocean and Old City.
If you don't feel like making the climb, you can tour the lighthouse keeper's home and boatbuilding shed, walk a nature trail, or take your kids to the shipyard-styled playground.
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/casa/" target="_blank">CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS NATIONAL MONUMENT</a>
One of the oldest standing structures in North America, this Spanish fortress took 84 years to build, completed in 1756. It's spectacular to see from both St. Augustine Inlet and the Old City, and equally breathtaking to tour.
The fort is built of more than 400,000 blocks of coquina stone-- all cut and set entirely by hand-- and it still looks a lot like it did in the 18th century. You get to explore cannons and watch towers, and visit the ancient rooms where soldiers slept, ate and stored their ammo.
Though the fort changed hands many times over several centuries, it never fell in battle. Rather its transfer from country to country was accomplished through treaties and peace agreements.
Now it's a hugely popular historic site managed by the National Park Service.
<a href="http://myfwc.com/viewing/recreation/wmas/lead/Guana-River" target="_blank">GUANA RIVER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA </a>
Located on A-1-A about halfway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, this 9,800-acre region of forest, fresh- and saltwater ponds, and marshes is a haven for the outdoors enthusiast.
Visitors can fish from shore or wade in the redfish- and flounder-rich waters of Lake Ponte Vedra, hunt ducks from November through January, and go paddling, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
I took a short hike on one of the miles of trails that loop through the area, enjoying the quiet and shade of an oak hammock.
This hunting/recreation area abuts the 2,400-acre Guana Tolomato Matanzas Estuarine Research Reserve, designated in 1999. Take time to visit the reserve's Environmental Education Center located just before the entrance gate.
<a href="http://augustine.com/event/nights-lights" target="_blank">NIGHTS OF LIGHTS</a>
This truly is THE most wonderful time of the year to visit St. Augustine, especially after dark when the entire city-- buildings, homes, parks, monuments, street lamps and vehicles-- are strung with millions of tiny white lights to observe the holiday season. Named one of the top ten holiday lighting displays in the world by National Geographic, it stems from an old Spanish tradition of placing a single white candle in the window of each home. The light fest runs through Jan. 31.
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Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
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Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/the-most-wonderful-season-of-all-to-visit-st-augustine/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Great Marlin Race May Come to Galapagos&body=Last March, Californian Bob Kurz, a trustee with the International Game Fish Association, and his IGFA rep wife Sally took an important step to advance billfish science around the world: they implanted a striped marlin with a pop-off satellite tag while fishing around Ecuador's <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/adventure/outpost-adventures/expeditions/galapagos-big-game-fishing/">Galapagos Islands</a>.
The tag, scheduled to detach from the fish's dorsal fin after 240 days, was the first to be implanted in a billfish in the remote Pacific islands as part of the IGFA's Great Marlin Race. Since the IGFA took over the international tournament-within-a-tournament in 2011, some 350 satellite tags have been deployed in billfish in 22 countries. The tags record fish tracks in real time, including depth, temperature and other data, then relays them to a satellite which beams the information to researchers at California's Stanford University. Anglers buy the $4,500 tags and receive special recognition for the distances their tagged fish travel.
Sally Kurz caught the striper, estimated at 200 pounds, while trolling lures on the sport fishing boat Vertigo from the Galapagos Planet Hotel, a <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/lodging/out-island-lodges/">Guy Harvey Outpost Lodge</a> on <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/lodging/out-island-lodges/galapagos/san-cristobal/">San Cristobal Island</a>. The couple also caught and released numerous yellowfin tuna. They were accompanied by a representative of the Galapagos National Park.
"They liked what we were doing," Bob Kurz said of park officials. "They are very interested in learning more about the billfish that frequent the Galapagos."
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/tag.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4901" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/tag.jpg" alt="" width="3264" height="2448" /></a>
Kurz was so encouraged by the park's receptiveness that he is putting together a proposal to hold the first formal Great Marlin Race Tournament in the Galapagos in January 2019. He says that's prime time for catching stripers as well as blue and black marlin around the islands.
"Wherever you have a species, you try to deploy tags in as many different places as you can," Kurz said.
For example, Kurz said, tagging data helps solve mysteries such as why the average striper caught in California weighs about 140 pounds while fish over 300 pounds are common in New Zealand-- "whether they are separate and distinct populations," he said.
The tagging data also helps scientists inform fisheries managers who are hammering out policies to conserve billfish, such as time-and-area closures, gear restrictions and other measures.
"It's a citizen science program," Kurz said. "Very exciting for people who enjoy fishing for marlin."
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You don't have to wait for the next Great Marlin Race to fish for billfish in Galapagos. Book your lodging and fishing with Galapagos Planet, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge at <a href="https://www.guyharveyoutpost.com">www.guyharveyoutpost.com</a> or call 1-800-513-5257.
To learn more about the Great Marlin Race, visit <a href="https://www.igfa.org">www.igfa.org</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/great-marlin-race-may-come-to-galapagos/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Big Game Club Sold Out for Labor Day Weekend!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bgclaborday-heli.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-849 " title="Arriving by Air!" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/bgclaborday-heli.jpg" alt="" width="495" height="316" /></a>Guests are arriving by any means necessary for the Bimini Big Game Club's sold-out Labor Day Weekend celebration!
With the Labor Day Weekend on hand, the historic <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.comn" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club</a> is attracting guests by air, by sea and with a unique tasty menu featuring a Caribbean specialty - Lionfish Nuggets!
General manager Mike Weber said the 51-room resort is completely sold out for the Labor Day Weekend, a good sign for the iconic resort and marina, which returned as a <a title="About GHO" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/aboutus.htm" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost</a> last year.
"We are looking good with several bookings for 2012 already in place," said Weber. "The property is really spectacular and we currently rated very high in customer reviews on <a title="BBGC Reviews on TripAdvisor" href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147426-d147623-Reviews-Bimini_Big_Game_Club-Bimini_Out_Islands_Bahamas.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisor</a>."
Closed for two years, the BBGC reopened last year following a multi-million-dollar renovation that included all guest rooms, the new Bimini Bar & Grill, the Outfitter Shop and the Gulfstream Conference Center and adjoining Hemingway Rum Bar & Social Lounge.
Located on the main navigation channel in Bimini, the BBGC has again become the epicenter of water-oriented pursuits, including offshore game fishing, backcountry fishing and diving. The resort features a 75-slip marina capable of accommodating boats up to 145 feet in length. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/big-game-club-sold-out-for-labor-day-weekend/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Help Guy Harvey Outpost Volunteers Clean Up the Keys&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/11990489_10154198595179027_1235612983481628913_n.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2892 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/11990489_10154198595179027_1235612983481628913_n.png?w=300" alt="11990489_10154198595179027_1235612983481628913_n" width="300" height="300" /></a> By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost Staff Writer
Some staff members of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpostIslamorada" target="_blank">Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost</a> in Islamorada plan to don work gloves, long pants and sun hats to join hundreds of others collecting trash along U.S. Highway 1 and ocean and bayside beaches on Sept. 19.
The Florida Keys Scenic Corridor Alliance has partnered with the Ocean Conservancy for the 30th anniversary of the International Coastal Cleanup-- a one-day effort that last year attracted 560,000 volunteers in 91 countries who picked up more than 16 million pounds of trash.
For this year's cleanup, teams will fan out along the entire 110-mile U.S. 1 corridor and adjacent beaches from Key Largo to Key West, clearing roadsides and waterfronts of trash and debris. Some employees of the Islander are expected to join a team organized by the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce cleaning the area from Tavernier Creek Bridge to the Channel 5 Bridge including Sea Oats Beach, Anne's Beach, and Indian Key Fills. If you would like to help, call or email Judy Hull, executive director of the Islamorada chamber at 305-664-4503/director@islamoradachamber.com.
Discarded plastic items -- flip-flops, water bottles, bags, and popped balloons--are a serious environmental and ecological problem worldwide, with more than seven million tons ending up in the world's oceans. Not just an eyesore, they sicken and kill sea birds and marine mammals.
For more information about the Coastal Cleanup, visit the Ocean Conservancy's <a href="http://www.oceanconservancy.org" target="_blank">web site</a>!
Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling, camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women’s world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/help-guy-harvey-outpost-volunteers-clean-up-the-keys/){kind=link}
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