BIMINI BIG GAME CLUB FISHING REPORT CATCH: Wahoo, Yellowtail Snapper Nothing kills a good fishing trip faster than the 1-2 punch of rough seas and mechanical problems. However, with a little help from …
Bonfire Series Kicks Off at Bimini Boatyard, Monday, February 23rd, 6pm
23 Feb 20156:22 PM
The Burning Wahoo Tournament & Festival week starts 6 pm. Monday night at the Bimini Boatyard. Then the action moves to Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbor, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Property Feb 26 – March 1st.
To help ensure your success, Capt. Ronnie Schatman will be on hand to offer tips and secrets for catching BIG Bahamian Wahoo. To help ensure we all have a good time, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Guy Harvey Spiced Rum will be featured at the Kick Off Party.
Join your fellow anglers and extreme sports enthusiasts at a Meet & Greet at the Bimini Boatyard Waterside Palm Bar. Discuss details of the trip and find a buddy boat for the crossing. There will be door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and free giveaways, so come on out and let’s get ready to light it up in West End, Bahamas!
The Bimini Boatyard’s waterfront site offers drinks and eats both inside and out. Monday’s event will take place waterside at the Palm Bar.
Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill
1555 Southeast 17th St.
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316
Phone: 954-525-7400
Email: info@biminiboatyard.com
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: www.ghofish.com
For Guy Harvey Outpost & their great resorts: http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/
For the Guy Harvey Outpost Blog www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter https://twitter.com/GHOutpost
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![](mailto:?subject=Bonfire Series Kicks Off at Bimini Boatyard, Monday, February 23rd, 6pm&body=The <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/2015-burning-wahoo-tournament/overview.html">Burning Wahoo Tournament & Festival</a> week starts 6 pm. Monday night at the <a href="http://biminiboatyard.com/">Bimini Boatyard</a>. Then the action moves to <a style="color:#00ccff;" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/west-end-grand-bahama-island/overview.html">Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbor</a>, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Property Feb 26 - March 1st.
To help ensure your success, Capt. Ronnie Schatman will be on hand to offer tips and secrets for catching BIG Bahamian Wahoo. To help ensure we all have a good time, <a href="http://www.titosvodka.com/">Tito's Handmade Vodka </a>and Guy Harvey Spiced Rum will be featured at the Kick Off Party.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/burning-wahoo-logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2436" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/burning-wahoo-logo.jpg" alt="http://ghofish.com/" width="335" height="335" /></a>
Join your fellow anglers and extreme sports enthusiasts at a Meet & Greet at the Bimini Boatyard Waterside Palm Bar. Discuss details of the trip and find a buddy boat for the crossing. There will be door prizes, a 50/50 raffle and free giveaways, so come on out and let’s get ready to light it up in West End, Bahamas!
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/logo-new.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2619" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/logo-new.png" alt="logo-new" width="240" height="168" /></a>
The Bimini Boatyard's waterfront site offers drinks and eats both inside and out. Monday's event will take place waterside at the Palm Bar.
Bimini Boatyard Bar & Grill
1555 Southeast 17th St.
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316
Phone: <a href="tel:1-954-525-7400">954-525-7400</a>
Email: <a href="mailto:info@biminiboatyard.com">info@biminiboatyard.com</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://www.ghofish.com/">www.ghofish.com</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost & their great resorts: <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_parent">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a>
For the Guy Harvey Outpost Blog <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com/" target="_parent">www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost" target="_parent">https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_parent">https://twitter.com/GHOutpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bonfire-series-kicks-off-at-bimini-boatyard-february-23rd/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=More Reasons Than Ever to Harvest Lionfish&body=by Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost Travel Journalist
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Lionfish: they gobble just about anything they can fit in their mouths, decimating native marine fish populations and taking over coral reef ecosystems. They are colorful and tasty and now there are more reasons than ever for you to hunt them down and take them out.
The month of May-- warmer water temperatures, calmer winds-- marks the unofficial grand opening of the recreational diving season in Florida and the Bahamas, and the kickoff of a busy season of lionfish removal derbies. All kinds of incentives are being offered for you to harvest, log, photograph and eat your catch of these venom-spined invaders from the Indo Pacific.
The <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/green-turtle-cay-abacos/" target="_blank">Green Turtle Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge</a> in Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas will conduct its eighth annual Lionfish Derby June 24-25 in conjunction with the non-profit Friends of the Environment. Prizes will be awarded for the most, the largest, and the smallest lionfish brought in, and competitors will celebrate by eating their catch. The club was the scene of the very first lionfish derby in the Bahamas in 2009, organized by dive operators Brendal and Mary Stevens. The fleet of some 20 boats harvested 1,408 of the peppermint-striped exotics in the inaugural tournament. At last year's contest, they took out 763. The event has become a model for other lionfish derbies throughout the Bahamas. To get in on the action, book your stay by calling 1-800-513-5257 and email info@friendsoftheenvironment.org for an entry form.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GTC-Blog-Image.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-4058 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/GTC-Blog-Image.jpg" alt="GTC Blog Image" width="624" height="237" /></a>
Stateside, lionfish derby season opens May 14-15 with Florida's <a href="http://reefrangers.com/event-info/" target="_blank">Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival and Tournament</a> at Plaza de Luna Park in Pensacola co-sponsored by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and <a href="http://www.guyharveymagazine.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Magazine</a>. Harvesters can win prizes at this free event, which inaugurates the statewide Lionfish Challenge running through Sept. 30.
To qualify for the Challenge, participants must take out 50 or more lionfish between May 14 and the end of September. They can win prizes such as fishing licenses, fuel cards, dive tank refills and the opportunity to take one extra lobster over the bag limit during the 2016 sport diving mini-season July 27-28. Whoever documents the most lionfish over the course of the contest will receive a lifetime saltwater fishing license and be inducted into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Lionfish Hall of Fame.
Especially for the Florida Panhandle, where Gulf waters have become a lionfish hot zone in the past couple of years, the state has launched a year-long pilot program running from May 14, 2016 to May 20, 2017. For every lionfish taken from the seven-county region, the diver or angler will be eligible for a tag to take either a red grouper or a cobia over the bag limit in state waters. Anyone who harvests 500 or more lionfish over the one-year program will have the opportunity to name an artificial reef.
And removing really big lionfish can earn you a spot in the Florida state record book. The current mark for the longest lionfish harvested in the Atlantic is an 18.78-incher caught by Captain Jimmy Nelson in Islamorada. In the Gulf, the largest in both length and weight is a 17.24-inch, 3.1-pounder weighed by Captain Andy Ross of Pensacola.
For details on these contests and rewards programs, go <a href="http://www.myfwc.com/lionfish/" target="_blank">HERE</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.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/more-reasons-than-ever-to-harvest-lionfish/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Explore the HMS Winchester with Capt. Lars Vihlen, March 18th, Islamorada&body=The <a href="http://www.divingmuseum.org/">History of Diving Museum </a>in Islamorada hosts Capt. Lars Vihlen as part of the Museum's Immerse Yourself! seminar series.
In 1695 only two years after she was built, the crew of the HMS Winchester were struck by scurvy. With the death of many and her crew greatly weakend she wrecked on a reef just south of Carysfort Light. Her remains are visible in 28 feet of water inside Penekamp Park.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/hdm-flyer-03182015-winchester.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2652" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/hdm-flyer-03182015-winchester.jpg" alt="HDM-flyer-03182015-Winchester" width="220" height="228" /></a>
The Winchester, a British man-of-war, was 121-feet in length. She had a beam of 38 feet and carried 60 guns. Almost all of her 400 crew were lost, mostly to disease.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/hdm-flyer-03182015-capt-vihlen.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2653" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/hdm-flyer-03182015-capt-vihlen.jpg" alt="HDM-flyer-03182015-Capt Vihlen" width="320" height="202" /></a>
The presentation is open to the general public. Admission is free to Monroe County residents and Museum members and $10 for visitors. Pre-seminar museum tours will be conducted at 5:15pm and 6pm. Museum tours are included with admission. Members may reserve their seats in advance.
The History of Diving Museum is located at: 82990 Overseas Hwy about one mile north of the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/islamorada-fl/islamorada-fl-overview.html">Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost</a>.
For more information on the <a href="http://www.divingmuseum.org/">History of Diving Museum</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://www.ghofish.com/">www.ghofish.com</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost & their great resorts: <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_parent">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a>
For the Guy Harvey Outpost Blog <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com/" target="_parent">www.guyharveyoutpostnews.com</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost" target="_parent">https://www.facebook.com/GuyHarveyOutpost</a>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_parent">https://twitter.com/GHOutpost</a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/explore-the-hms-winchester-with-capt-lars-vihlen-march-18th-islamorada/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Fun Up the Creek With a Paddle&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3250 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/fisheatingcreek.jpg?w=300" alt="FisheatingCreek" width="300" height="225" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
[Palmdale, FL--] A paddler would be hard-pressed to find a more scenic, tranquil waterway in South Florida to explore than Fisheating Creek. Unlike many in the region, its water levels are not manipulated by humans, but dependent entirely on rainfall. No buildings line its banks except for the small office at the Fisheating Creek Outpost campground in tiny Palmdale. Mostly, it's just you in your kayak or canoe-- maybe an occasional hunter passing by in a john boat-- and gators, birds and frogs for miles around.
Fisheating Creek-- derived from a Native American phrase for " the creek where fish are eaten"--lives up to its name. It's loaded with bass, bluegill, and bream. Flowing gently south and east from rural Highlands County for about 50 miles to Lake Okeechobee, the creek is a narrow, shady, shallow haven for wildlife. If you are quiet, you might spy deer, wild turkey, and hogs as you glide by. The state of Florida controls the creek corridor, maintaining public access while the upland regions are mostly cattle pastures owned by the agribusiness giant Lykes Bros.
I enjoyed a nearly effortless seven-mile paddle down the creek at year's end, buoyed by unseasonably high water levels from recent rains that required no wading nor dragging my kayak over shallow sandbars. Sunny, breezy weather tamped down annoying insects and made for a comfortable three-hour float downstream.
An Outpost shuttle driver transported my kayak and me to the put-in site popular with day-trippers called Burnt Bridge. Had I desired a longer trip, I could have been shuttled further north to Ingram's Crossing-- a 16-mile, full-day or overnight excursion. Using the Outpost shuttle is the only way to access the creek upstream from the campground because you have to pass through several locked gates on Lykes property to get there.
Decades ago, paddling almost the entire length of the creek to its terminus in Lake Okeechobee was possible, but not today. The shuttle driver told me it is paddle-able for about 45 minutes south of the campground to a spot called Rock Lake. Beyond Rock Lake, he said, the stream is too choked with vegetation to continue.
No matter. I had plenty of spectacular natural scenery and wildlife to occupy me for my entire trip. I glided through towering cypress forest with many boughs still bright green despite the winter season. Their knobby knee roots lined the creek banks like columns of small soldiers. Overhead, crows, herons and ibis called, squawked, and grunted as I floated by.
I think I had only been underway for about 20 minutes when I came upon my first gator-- a five-footer sunning itself on a sandbar. I slowed down, and barely was able to snap off a photo before it slid into the creek and disappeared. Over the next three hours or so, I passed another 14 of the reptiles, one of them a jowly monster that looked to be about ten feet long. Without exception, they either ignored me or departed quickly at my approach. For some reason, I didn't see any snakes or turtles.
Since it was a weekday, watercraft traffic was light. I came upon exactly one small motorboat and a party of three kayaks.
"You're the first person we've seen for days!" joked one of the paddlers.
It is theoretically possible to get lost on Fisheating Creek, but you would have to try really hard. The route is marked with small directional signs and blue blazes on the trees. If you ever find yourself between markers, uncertain how to proceed, simply go with the flow-- following the strongest line of current downstream.
I stopped for lunch at a scenic sand spit dubbed Nude Beach on my trail map. It was deserted; no naked people anywhere around. However, as I munched on chicken tenders, I did spy two tail drags in the sand that doubtless were made by nude alligators.
Fish splashed and birds conducted me from the tree canopy as I continued downstream. Then I came upon a startling sight: a large, gray, roundish structure about six feet tall attached to a tree on the left bank. Peering closer, I saw that it was a really big wasp nest! I snapped a photo and pushed quickly away. Not long after that, I arrived back at the campground.
What a fun morning it had been. Beautiful scenery, non-threatening wildlife and no bug bites. I'll have to do the long version next time.
***************
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.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/fun-up-the-creek-with-a-paddle-2/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Successful First Day at the FTL Boat Show&body=Day 1 of the <a title="FTL Boat Show web site" href="http://www.showmanagement.com/fort_lauderdale_international_boat_show_2010/event/" target="_blank">Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show</a> was a huge success for the team from <a title="About the GH Outpost" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/aboutus.htm" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost Ltd</a>. Lots of fans of the <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Big Game Club</a> - old and new - came by the Guy Harvey booth at <a title="Bahia Mar web site" href="http://www.bahiamarhotel.com/" target="_blank">Bahia Mar Marina</a> to register for the BGC getaway, tell some fishing stories, and to meet the man himself, Dr. Guy Harvey.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/boatshoweblast.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-224" title="Bimini Big Game Club Giveaway" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/boatshoweblast.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>
In addition to Guy, many other Guy Harvey Outpost and Guy Harvey Inc. notables were in the booth today - Mark Ellert, GHO President; Chris Pollock, GHO Dir. of Operations; <a title="Dive Bimini web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/diving.htm" target="_blank">Dive Bimini's </a>Neal Watson; Steve Stock, President of <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Inc.; </a>Sean Collins, VP of <a title="ARK Paddleboards web site" href="http://arkboards.com/" target="_blank">ARK Paddleboards</a>; and Doc Gruber, Director of the <a title="BBFS web site" href="http://www6.miami.edu/sharklab/index.html" target="_blank">Bimini Biological Field Station</a>.
Lots more in store for the remainder of the show, so come by the booth, meet the team and register for a chance to win the BGC getaway. Also, check us out on <a title="BBGC on Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/BiminiBigGameClub" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and follow us on <a title="Guy Harvey Outpost on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/GHOutpost" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for news and photos from the show. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/223-2/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Hunting Not Always Ducky on Lake Okeechobee&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3060 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/lakeoduck.jpg?w=225" alt="LakeODuck" width="225" height="300" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
[Okeechobee, FL--] A blast of cold weather and flocks of ignorant ducks from the north are high on the holiday wish lists of duck hunters on Lake Okeechobee when phase two of the harvest season opens Dec.12.
The first phase Nov. 21-29 found hordes of hunters and plenty of birds flying over the marshes of the Big O on the first cool front of the fall season. But after numerous rounds of sky-blasting from legions of 12-gauges, the ducks learned to cruise the stratosphere as they made their way south across the 730-square-mile lake.
Still, the skittish birds and constant bursts of small-arms fire were no excuses for not bagging a limit of six, according to Sam Heaton of Jensen Beach, FL. In a half-day of hunting on the north end of the lake, Heaton managed only three ducks-- two ring-necked and a gadwall.
It wasn't for lack of preparation; Heaton had scouted the secluded lily pad slough weeks before the season opened aboard his 15 1/2-foot Gheenoe-- a flats boat/canoe hybrid powered by an outboard with an extra-long shaft. A veteran hunter, fisherman and all-around outdoorsman, he had discovered plenty of ducks alighting, feeding and hanging out in the area. All he had to do was set out some decoys, conceal his camo-painted boat in a nearby stand of cattails, cradle his 12-gauge, and watch for the flare of approaching duck wings.
He was armed with a variety of duck calls ranging from quacks to whistles and had his trusty yellow Lab named Finn aboard to fetch fallen birds. But none of it seemed to matter when his quarry flew in. He fired and missed at least four times.
"Son of a gun," Heaton muttered. "This is the worst I've ever shot."
Finn, waiting impatiently for something to do, whined in agreement.
"I know, I know, buddy," Heaton soothed the dog, stroking its ears.
When Heaton shot his first 'ringer', Finn literally leapt into action -- bounding over the gunwales into the marsh and swimming straight for the floating duck. He quickly returned with it clamped in his jaws, looking immensely pleased with himself.
Over the next four hours, Heaton shot one more ringer and a gadwall-- both retrieved by Finn. As the sun rose higher, the birds mostly flew by high out of range. Despite the futility, several nearby hunters blasted at them anyway, prompting them to reach new heights. By late morning, fewer and fewer flocks appeared.
"We need some more ducks. These ducks have been shot hard this weekend," Heaton said.
Around noon with no more prospects on the horizon, Heaton decided to pack up his decoys and head back to the boat ramp. He had enough duck breasts for hors d'oeuvres and was buoyed by hopes of a new wave of targets during phase two of the season which runs through Jan. 31.
"We'll get more ducks since the weather is getting cold up north," he said.
Here is Heaton's recipe for grilled duck breast:
Butterfly duck breasts. Prepare a mixture of sour cream, chives, garlic, cilantro, and red pepper flakes, ladle it onto the breasts, then roll each one up in a slice of apple-cured bacon and secure with a toothpick or skewer.
Cook on the grill until the bacon is sizzling. Dive in.
************
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.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/hunting-not-always-ducky-on-lake-o/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Procuring Haute Cuisine by Airboat on Lake Okeechobee&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/p1010117.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2987 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/p1010117.jpg?w=300" alt="P1010117" width="300" height="225" /></a>by Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Those delicately-flavored sautéed frog legs you pay $25 and up for in South Florida restaurants do not come from amphibian farms somewhere in the Far East. Unlike some fish sold in U.S. markets and eateries which is farmed overseas, this freshwater delicacy likely is harvested by moonlighting cowboys, construction workers and fishing guides riding around on airboats at night on Lake Okeechobee or the Everglades.
While most do it for the money--(they get between $7 and $8 per pound of dressed frog legs)--some do it for fun, dinner, and charters.
Captain Bobby Stafford of Okeechobee earns his living by guiding locals and out-of-towners on bass fishing, gator or duck hunting, and frog gigging expeditions on the Big O. Between bookings, he sometimes goes out to harvest enough frogs for dinner.
"It's a fun thing to do, plus you get to bring home good table fare," he said. "There's a challenge to it."
On a recent weekday night, Stafford and I embarked on his newly-refurbished,14-foot airboat at Okee-Tantie on the big lake's north end, which is slated to become a Guy Harvey Outpost RV Resort and Marina in 2017. An early-evening downpour had ended just before dark and we could hear the croaks, chirps, and burps of our quarry as soon as we hit the lake.
However, Stafford was a little uncertain about our dinner prospects because of a steep rise in water levels in the previous two weeks.
"Their whole habitat is getting readjusted to the high water," he said. "But I like frogging after the rain. I think the frogs climb up higher."
Wearing a bright headlamp, Stafford cruised the cattail marsh on the edge of the lake with his left hand on the tiller and his right holding a ten-foot-long, four-pronged gig like a pool cue. It's nearly impossible to spot a frog in tall cattails, so Stafford stuck to shallow sloughs coated with lily pads where the animals often sit out in the open. All that vegetation distracts the eye, but the guide knew what to look for.
"You have to look right in the light. Sometimes you see their yellow eyeball from a ways off. Sometimes you see the white of their throat," he explained.
Sweeping the swamp with his light, Stafford pulled back on the tiller to slow down and gigged a shiny, greenish-brown frog perched on a pad. He put his quarry in a fiberglass chute attached to a mesh catch bag and kept motoring.
"You're trying to hit them and time it just right," he said. "I aim for the head."
He stuck about a dozen more and missed a couple that dived under the lily pads at the airboat's approach. Every now and then his headlamp beam would catch a pair of ruby orbs-- a gator patrolling the marsh.
"When we find the frogs thick, there will be a lot of baby gators in there eating them," Stafford said.
But the frogs and gators seemed to be spaced pretty far apart; no mother lode as in previous weeks when water levels were lower. And Stafford passed up a few frogs that were too small to be worth cleaning.
On a normal four-hour recreational gigging trip, he said, he and guests could expect to harvest about 15 to 20 pounds of frog legs. Commercial froggers keeping at it all night might score as much as 100 pounds. Nearing midnight, after about 2 1/2 hours of hunting, Stafford had taken about 30 frogs, or three to five pounds of legs. The catch was still plenty for me, him, his wife and two sons served battered and deep-fried or sautéed in garlic and butter.
Purveyors of fine foods may dream up all sorts of frog leg dishes and wine pairings targeted to the palate of the sophisticated gourmand. But diners should remember that some guy in an airboat first had to find and stick that delectable entree and then dress it to make it presentable.
********************
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.
**********
Share your photos, videos and experiences with Guy Harvey Outpost by hash tagging #OutpostAttitude to all of your social media posts. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/procuring-haute-cuisine-by-airboat-on-lake-okeechobee/){kind=link}
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