Once upon a time in Everglades National Park, one of the very few fishermen intrepid enough to explore the remote and mosquito-infested waters of Hells Bay was park ranger Herman Lucerne. His deep back …
New Flights to Bimini Launching Soon
3 Aug 20119:30 PM
By HANNAH SAMPSON | Miami Herald
Published: August 2, 2011
Bimini will be a little easier to reach after IBC Travel expands its flight schedule to inlcude flights from both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Flights to South Bimini International Airport in the Bahamas will be available daily from at least one of the two airports starting Aug. 15th. Fort Lauderdale had service previously, but no flights had departed from Miami.
From Miami, flights will leave on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flights from Fort Lauderdale will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The 30-minute flight on a 30-seat plane will cost $289 per person round-trip. One-way flights are $169, and kids under 2 fly for $100 round-trip or $50 one way.
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![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost to Host Fun Back Country Fishing Tournament&body=Once upon a time in Everglades National Park, one of the very few fishermen intrepid enough to explore the remote and mosquito-infested waters of Hells Bay was park ranger Herman Lucerne. His deep back country angling adventures overcoming extreme heat, hungry gators and venomous snakes reaped rich rewards, among them huge snook. And this induced other fishermen to muster their courage and follow in his wake-- chief among them Dr. Lloyd Wruble, a Miami oral surgeon.
Lucerne died in 1992 while working on his home after it was battered by ferocious Hurricane Andrew. In 2000, Wruble created the Herman Lucerne Memorial Backcountry Tournament to honor his friend's memory and dedication to the park's abundant fisheries.
The Sept. 16-18 tournament, presented by Hells Bay Boatworks, is the largest back country fishing event in the Keys-- expecting 68 teams and 112 anglers based at the Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost in Islamorada. Anglers will catch, measure, photograph and release seven eligible species--tarpon, snook, sea trout, bonefish, snapper, and bass OR black drum. Top honors will go to the angler notching the greatest number of inches of all seven using bait, artificial lures or fly rod. Last year's grand champion was James Lytle fishing with captain Larry Sydnor.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Herman-Lucerne1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4237" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Herman-Lucerne1.jpg" alt="Herman Lucerne" width="720" height="480" /></a>
The tournament awards no prize money-- only original local artwork. But there are numerous prize categories and plenty of swag. Proceeds benefit projects at the park, which last year received $50,000.
Tournament coordinator Kellie Trotta says there are three main reasons for the tournament's continued success:
"Not only do we throw a great kick-off party and have a great ditty bag, but we welcome the kids and families. And it's for a great cause," she said.
The public is invited to attend the Sept. 16 kick-off party, raffle and auction and the Sept. 18 awards banquet for $75 per person for each event. The theme is Mardi Gras, with executive chef Andy Niedenthal serving up plenty of NOLA favorites.
Reservations for the parties close Sept. 9. Go <a href="https://hermanlucernememorial.com" target="_blank">HERE</a> for more information.
To make lodging reservations at the Islander, visit <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com" target="_blank">GuyHarveyOutpost.com</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-to-host-fun-back-country-fishing-tournament/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Speed Up Everglades Restoration&body=Borrowing from the immortal lyrics of country music’s Jerry Reed in the theme song of the 1977 film “Smoky and the Bandit”, Everglades restoration “has a long way to go and a short time to get there.”
While the song refers to the urgency of delivering beer cross country, it is far more applicable to the necessity of restoring historic fresh water flows to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay. The stakes — for sport fishing, diving, and the ecosystem as a whole– are enormous.
About 15 years have passed since Florida and the federal government began work to restore historic water flows in terms of amount, timing, and quality across the Florida peninsula from the Glades headwaters just south of Disney World into Lake Okeechobee, and finally into the national park and bay. The multi-billion dollar planning, land acquisition, and construction projects have been mired in bureaucratic problems and arguments over money. Meanwhile, huge quantities of polluted water have been shunted from the Big O east to the St. Lucie Estuary and west through the Caloosahatchee River, killing sea grasses, fish and other creatures while the Glades and Florida Bay remain parched.
In 2014, voters got so sick of the situation that they overwhelmingly adopted a constitutional amendment to set aside a third of taxes on real estate transactions to ensure land could be bought and water stored, filtered and sent south to benefit people and wildlife.
But the Florida legislature spent most of the money on debt service and buying vehicles. And Congress hasn’t funded an effort to speed up work to move water through the central Everglades into Florida Bay. The situation grew worse this summer when an unseasonable drought combined with high salinity and water temperatures killed sea grass, fish and mangroves in the bay. Now, scientists fear the onset of a massive algae bloom that could further decimate this once rich marine life nursery, and they are keeping a close eye out for it.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/gators.jpg"><img src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/gators.jpg" alt="gators" width="550" height="413" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-120" /></a>
The Everglades Coalition, meeting earlier this month in Coral Gables, found a couple of reasons to be hopeful of better days ahead. A bill being introduced in the Florida legislature this session would set aside at least $200 million for Everglades projects. If lawmakers lack the political will to move ahead, Gov. Rick Scott has said he would set aside $5 billion over 20 years to create badly-needed water storage.
But the thirsty Glades could be running out of time. What’s being billed as the largest water restoration project in the history of the world was initially projected to take about 30 years. Now, experts say, it is barely at the halfway point, and could take up to 50 years. This doesn’t bode well for the 8 million Floridians who depend on the Glades for drinking water, nor the fish and other aquatic creatures whose very existence hangs in the balance.
To learn more about the critical situation in Florida Bay, you can attend a talk by Everglades Foundation ecologist Stephen Davis Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. at the Keys History & Discovery Center at the Islander, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort in Islamorada. Fee is $25 for non-Discovery Center members and reservations are recommended. Call 305-922-2237 or email info@keysdiscovery.com.
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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/speed-up-everglades-restoration/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Team Joins Blue Water Babes to Fish for a Cure&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10686775_932857686730957_3348169204012687339_n.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2931 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10686775_932857686730957_3348169204012687339_n.jpg?w=300" alt="10686775_932857686730957_3348169204012687339_n" width="300" height="256" /></a>By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Catch fish, eat great food, sip cocktails and maybe win prizes for a worthy cause in the Bluewater Babes Fish for a Cure Tournament Oct. 2-3 out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island in Palm Beach County.
The tournament awards prizes for weighing the heaviest pelagics (kingfish, dolphin and wahoo); heaviest single meat fish (snapper, grouper, cobia or blackfin tuna); and releasing billfish (blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish).
Only women may be anglers, but male captains and crew are allowed.
Fish for a Cure, founded in 2009, is Palm Beach County's first all-female contest dedicated to raising money for local breast and ovarian cancer patients who are in financial need. Besides fishing, the event includes cocktail and costume contests and a boat-decorating contest. A captains' meeting and kickoff party will be held Oct. 2, followed by fishing and the final awards ceremony Oct. 3.
Guy Harvey Outpost's captain Cliff Jensen and his team are sponsoring a Loggerhead Marina boat for the tournament. Guy Harvey Outpost has also donated a prize of a three-night stay at Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbor on West End, Grand Bahama Island, along with dockage.
For more information, go to <a href="http://fishforacure.com/">http://fishforacure.com</a>.
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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 outdoor 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/guy-harvey-outpost-team-joins-blue-water-babes-to-fish-for-a-cure/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/billfish-invitational-auction-spotlight-its-good-to-be-a-bahamian-pirate-luxury-bahamian-vacation-package/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/pirate-luxury-bahamian-vacation-package.jpg&description=Billfish Invitational Auction Spotlight – “It’s Good to be a Bahamian Pirate" Luxury Bahamas Vacation Package){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Billfish Invitational Auction Spotlight – “It’s Good to be a Bahamian Pirate" Luxury Bahamas Vacation Package&body=<a title="Billfish Invitational web site" href="http://www.billfishinvitational.com" target="_blank">BILLFISH INVITATIONAL</a> AUCTION ITEM: "It's Good to be a Bahamian Pirate" Luxury Bahamas Vacation Package
Enjoy a romantic two night stay at the world renowned <a title="Graycliff Hotel web site" href="http://www.graycliff.com" target="_blank">Graycliff</a>, an elegant British Colonial mansion high atop Nassau next to the stately Government House of the Bahamas.
Originally built in 1740 by the notorious priate <a title="History of the Graycliff Hotel" href="http://www.graycliff.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178&Itemid=152" target="_blank">Captain Graysmith</a>, who plunderd treasure throughout the Spanish Main from the deck of his feared Graywolf, this beautiful home offers an enticing world of colonial elegance tucked away from Nassau’s casino glitter. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens in a resplendent poolside setting, Graycliff is many things - but most of all it is a symbol of tradition, history, excellence and a commitment to providing the ultimate in quality and service. Your deluxe room offers all the amenities and comfort you would expect on an estate that has the only five-star restaurant in the entire Caribbean.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/gc_staying311.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-667" title="Graycliff Hotel - Nassau, Bahamas" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/gc_staying311.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="283" /></a>
Pick your night to enjoy a complimentary four-course "Chef’s Tasting" dinner for two at the award winning Graycliff Restaurant, paired with wine from the award winning wine cellar.
To finish your dinner, select a cigar from your new polished mahogany humidor (6 inches deep), which is highlighted with elegant <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey</a> artwork. This unique treasure will be signed at the tournament by Guy himself, and delivered fully stocked with a selection of 75 fine cigars.
And, what’s it mean to be a pirate if there isn’t any booty? We’ve done some treasure hunting of our own around the 700 Bahamian islands, and unearthed a stunning <a title="Guy Harvey Jewelry web site" href="http://www.guyharveyjewelry.com/" target="_blank">Guy Harvey medallion</a> ( 1 1/4” in diameter) forged in sterling silver with a hard fired enamel Blue Marlin image, complete with sterling silver chain and a set of matching pendant earrings.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bm1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-669" title="Guy Harvey Marlin on Hard Fired Enamel Medallion" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bm1.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="396" /></a>*Image is a representation of the medallion only - chain used in the auction may vary from the product shown.
To quote Johnny Depp....”Life's pretty good, and why wouldn't it be? I'm a pirate, after all.” And now, so are you! Donated by Graycliff, Unique Furnishings, JW Cigars and Guy Harvey Fine Jewelry.
AUCTION INFORMATION:
Tickets to nightly events of the inaugural 2011 Billfish Invitational are available for $150/pp. Price includes cocktails, dinner and participation in the auction and award presentations.
On-site auction is Thursday, May 19th at the Bimini Big Game Club. Online bids accepted through Midnight, Wednesday, May 18.
Please contact Capt. Ned Stone (<a href="mailto:nstone@guyharveyoutpost.com">nstone@guyharveyoutpost.com</a>) for details.
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/billfish-invitational-auction-spotlight-its-good-to-be-a-bahamian-pirate-luxury-bahamian-vacation-package/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/historical-collection-of-igfa-hall-of-famer-william-billy-pate-to-be-auctioned-off/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/historical-collection-of-igfa.jpg&description=Historical Collection of IGFA Hall of Famer William "Billy" Pate to be Auctioned Off My 19th in Islamorada){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost’s Iguana Crossing Hotel Wins TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Award AGAIN!&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-2014.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2113" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/tripadvisor-travelers-choice-award-2014.png" alt="TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award 2014" width="276" height="260" /></a><a title="Iguana Crossing" href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/isabela-island/property-overview.html">Iguana Crossing</a> has earned back to back Traveler's Choice Awards from TripAdvisor. The top hotel on Isabela Island and ranked second in the Galapagos. Two hundred and forty-two reviewers rated the fourteen room boutique hotel. Two-hundred and twenty-six of the reviewing guests rated this Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge either Excellent (189) or Very Good (37).
In addition to all the terrific land based adventures on Isabela. There is excellent diving, snorkeling and surfing in the Galapagos and Isabela has some of the very best.
Call now for our end of Summer Special available August 13 and September 30, 2014. reservations@guyharveyoutpost.com or 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outposts-iguana-crossing-hotel-wins-tripadvisors-travelers-choice-award-again/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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