Welcome to the Outpost Travel Journal where the members of the Guy Harvey Resorts Pro Team provide you their notes, tips and images from the field. Read their entries to inspire you for your next travel adventure! # TravelInspired
Reel Time Florida Sportsman – Largemouth Bass A to Z
Captain George Gozdz provides you lessons and tips on Largemouth Bass A to Z on Reel Time Florida Sportsman featuring Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort and Lake Kissimmee!
Reel Time Florida Sportsman TV brings the most up to date fishing reports on the web, the fishing reports from the Florida Sportsman Forums, to the Big Screen.
Captain George Gozdz, host of Reel Time, reviews the hottest action in the state, based on the most current fishing reports on the Region Forums, then packs up his boat and gear to fish with the Florida Sportsman member who posted the best and most action-packed report. For more information visit www.FloridaSportsman.com
The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) and the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) are teaming up at this year’s Mid-Atlantic $500,000 to help raise funds to conduct marine conservation research …
Yellowfin tuna greater than 200 pounds; both blue and black marlin; and all the sailfish you want to release. These are among the sport fishing highlights you can enjoy on Panama’s Pacific coast …
Courtesy of Coastal Angler Magazine For South Florida residents and visitors, having the beautiful islands of North and South Bimini a mere 50-60 miles away certainly does open up a host of fishing adventures …
BIMINI BIG GAME CLUB FISHING REPORT CATCH: Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna LOCATION: Great Isaac Cay, Approx. 20 mi. NNE of Bimini Left the BBGC dock at 6 am only to be greeted by a 3 – 5 chop, with a swell …
Small, weird-looking, but very tasty –even raw–and very easy to capture. Only available in the summer and early fall and never in a seafood market. You and your family must be hunter/gatherers …
Four hundred species and over 70 artists – including Guy Harvey – are represented in the new “SHARK!” exhibit at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale. According to the MOAFL …
If you and your family are planning an escape to Florida from the frigid north for spring break, you’re probably already salivating over the prospects of sipping a cool drink on a warm beach, splashing …
Despite its name, Lake Tarpon on Central Florida’s Gulf coast is best known for its outsized largemouth bass– not the leaping ‘silver king’. Rated one of the Sunshine State’s …
26 Feb 2018
General
Bon Appetit
Conservation corner
Dive In
Got Photo
Get Hooked
Outdoor Adventure
Travel Tips
![](mailto:?subject=Fish Panama This Spring and Summer!&body=Yellowfin tuna greater than 200 pounds; both blue and black marlin; and all the sailfish you want to release.
These are among the sport fishing highlights you can enjoy on Panama's Pacific coast from late March through the end of July with Captain Hennie Marais and Panama Yacht and Fishing Charters-- an exclusive Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition.
In the remote Coiba Islands, a national park located off Panama's southern coast, Marais will slow-troll live bonitos along the gamefish-rich Hannibal Bank where the baits get crashed by huge yellowfins and black marlin. Your floating base camp for this adventure is a comfortably-appointed 66' Buddy Davis sport fishing yacht that can accommodate parties of up to six. You have the option of an additional battle wagon too-- a swift 37-foot Strike with top-of-the-line tackle and equipment to hoist huge tuna up from the depths and subdue greyhounding marlin.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_0377adjusted.jpg"><img class="wp-image-4589 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_0377adjusted.jpg" alt="IMG_0377adjusted" width="1739" height="1159" /></a>PHOTO: Your floating base camp - a 66' Buddy Davis luxury sportfishing yacht with the optional 37-foot Strike.
Or Marais can escort your group east to the Gulf of Panama where the waters around the Pearl Islands and Pinas Bay further south provide abundant opportunities offshore for tuna, marlin, sailfish and mahi. Inshore, you'll get shots at feisty species such as roosterfish, snapper, and amberjack. On this expedition, you can stay at a private resort and make day trips, live aboard the luxury yacht, or arrange a combination of the two.
"Fishing in Panama is exotic, with beautiful warm weather and beautiful scenery," Marais said.
Book your adventure now at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com">GuyHarveyOutpost.com</a>, or call our travel desk at 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/fish-panama-this-spring-and-summer/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Offshore Fishing Forecast&body=<a href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-95" title="Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/final-resort-logo.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="159" /></a>
Courtesy of <a title="Coastal Angler Magazine web site" href="http://www.coastalanglermagazine.com" target="_blank">Coastal Angler Magazine</a>
For South Florida residents and visitors, having the beautiful islands of <a title="Bimini - Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank">North and South Bimini</a> a mere 50-60 miles away certainly does open up a host of fishing adventures and opportunities!
August and September are typically similar with respect to the fishing conditions, except for the itinerant tropical storm that may impact the northwest <a title="Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/" target="_blank">Bahamas</a>. Conditions are light winds, calm seas and warm water. August was a great month as September is forecast to be the same. Currents have been light and this will contribute to excellent fishing.
Bottom fishing on the reefs should produce grouper and yellow tail snapper along with the usual staples. For those that deep drop, mutton snapper, amberjack, yellow eyes and queens will be bending your rod. Trolling to the north, be prepared for your share of kingfish and mackerel. As we are now turning the corner on the autumn season, do not be surprised to hook a small wahoo or an occasional sail.
Just a quick note to mention that in late summer, fast developing and moving thunderstorms are a distinct possibility so ensure you are prepared and ready for changing weather conditions.
See you in Bimini soon!
Capt. Robbie Smith, Dockmaster
Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina
<a href="mailto:rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com">rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com</a>
242-347-3391 https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-offshore-fishing-forecast/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Big Game Club Fishing Report&body=<a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">BIMINI BIG GAME CLUB</a> FISHING REPORT
CATCH: <a title="Wikipedia entry for Wahoo" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahoo" target="_blank">Wahoo</a>, <a title="Wikipedia entry for Blackfin Tuna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackfin_tuna" target="_blank">Blackfin Tuna</a>
LOCATION: <a title="Wikipedia entry for Great Isaac Cay, Bahamas" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Isaac_Cay,_Bahamas" target="_blank">Great Isaac Cay</a>, Approx. 20 mi. NNE of Bimini
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/wahooatnight.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-324" title="Wahoo!" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/wahooatnight.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>
Left the BBGC dock at 6 am only to be greeted by a 3 - 5 chop, with a swell on top of that. We made the decision to go anyway. Fortunately, the seas subsided once we were about 10 miles from Great Isaac. The sun warmed us up and the seas remained nearly flat the entire day. We started the hi-speed troll just east of Great Isaac and immediately got a double header. We boated one of those and 9 more while trolling between 150-350! We had over 15 bites and even caught a nice blackfin on the wahoo troll! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/big-game-club-fishing-report/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Join A Live Summertime Easter Egg Hunt in Florida’s Big Bend&body=Small, weird-looking, but very tasty --even raw--and very easy to capture. Only available in the summer and early fall and never in a seafood market. You and your family must be hunter/gatherers to harvest them. They're bay scallops-- the premier mollusk of Florida's Gulf coast Big Bend region. And there's still plenty of time left to catch your share.
"So far, the season's been excellent," said Steinhatchee charterboat captain Bob Erdman. "Limits every day in three to four feet of water."
Erdman wasn't kidding. Last week, he and wife Carole guided my friend Kyle Stewart and me to gather our boat limit of eight gallons. It took us a little bit longer than last year because the region's scallop counts are down, but that just extended the fun.
The captain opted for the scallop grounds about five miles north of the mouth of the Steinhatchee River. His reasoning was simple: thousands of hunters have been plucking the grass beds to the south since the season opened on June 16, so hunting north might produce bigger shellfish.
As usual, Erdman was right. Snorkeling above the mixed turtle and manatee grass with mask and fins, I didn't spy as many of the little flying saucer-looking animals as last summer, but the ones I found were definitely larger with barnacle-encrusted shells.
"Those may be last year's scallops," Erdman said.
Harvesting them couldn't be easier. You just reach down and pick them up. Their weak escape attempts consist of clapping their double shells together clumsily. This is basically an underwater Easter egg hunt where the 'eggs' sometimes try in vain to get away. Kids as young as five can do it.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_1305.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4836" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_1305.jpg" alt="" width="3264" height="2448" /></a>
Best places to hunt are in mixed patches of sand and grass where the grayish-white shells are easiest to spot. Sometimes they'll be nestled in the sand; other times, you'll find them perched on blades of grass. Erdman advises scouring the bay bottom closely for the ridged shell's profile.
The hunt itself is entertaining even if you don't spot scallops every two minutes. You'll encounter schools of mullet and pinfish, sea stars, and occasionally a stingray. I came upon a small ray while hunting; it bolted in the opposite direction when it saw me.
A few safety tips: boats must display a red-and-white diver-down flag while scalloping and divers must stay within 300 feet of it in open water and within 100 feet in a river, inlet or channel. Boaters must slow to idle speed when they draw close to the flag.
The bag limit is two gallons of whole scallops or one pint of meat per person, with a maximum of ten gallons whole or 1/2 gallon of meat per vessel. The season runs through Sept. 10 in the Steinhatchee area. If you plan to hunt in the St. Joseph Bay area to the north, the season opens July 25 through Sept. 10. In the popular Homosassa - Crystal River area, the season opened July 1 and closes Sept. 24.
To book a scalloping trip with captain Bob Erdman, call 352-356-2554. Rental boats and accommodations are available at Good Times Motel and Marina (352-498-8088) or Sea Hag Marina & the Shacks at Sea Hag (352-498-3008). Both facilities also are staffed with scallop cleaners who charge $7-$8 per pound. Have your scallops prepared and served with an array of sides at Kathi's Krab Shack (352-498-0605) or do it yourself. Hint: cook them anyway you want-- just don't overcook them.
For a complete rundown on scallop seasons and regulations in Florida, go to <a href="http://www.MyFWC.com/Fishing">MyFWC.com/Fishing</a> and click on "Saltwater Fishing", then "Recreational Regulations" and "Bay Scallops". https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/join-a-live-summertime-easter-egg-hunt-in-floridas-big-bend/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=No End to Spring Break Family Fun at Guy Harvey Outpost&body=If you and your family are planning an escape to Florida from the frigid north for spring break, you're probably already salivating over the prospects of sipping a cool drink on a warm beach, splashing in the waves, or catching a fish dinner for the restaurant at one of our Guy Harvey Outpost resorts. But there are plenty of other attractions and activities for vacationers of all ages to keep busy and have fun when you decide to take a break from the beach. Here are some suggestions:
ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS
Check out our <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/islamoradapackages/">Spring Family Fun Packages in Islamorada</a>, or inquire with the Guy Harvey Outpost Travel Desk at <a href="mailto:sales@guyharveyoutpost.com">sales@guyharveyoutpost.com</a> for special savings at Theater of the Sea when you book a stay at the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost. Must book at the web site or with the GHO Travel Desk for these deals.
<a href="http://www.FloridaStateParks.org">State Parks Boat Tour</a>: 305-664-9814
Visit two of Florida's state parks in a three-hour guided boat tour out of Robbie's Marina offered Fridays through Sundays through April. Your first stop is Indian Key Historic State Park where you will walk the perimeter of the 10-acre island that served as the 19th century county seat of Miami-Dade. You'll see the ruins of a once-thriving town populated mostly by 'wreckers'-- people who made their living salvaging merchant ships that got stuck on the nearby coral reefs-- and check out the tropical plants originally grown by a physician/botanist who lived there in the 1830s.
Your second and final stop is nearby Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park located only a short boat ride away where you will join a park ranger for a guided tour of the Matheson House and the surrounding tropical hardwood hammock. The house, built in 1919, looks much as it did at the turn of the 20th century, with polished wooden floors, cisterns and the remains of a windmill tower now occupied by an osprey nest.
In a walk through the woods, you'll spot the eponymous lignumvitae tree which doesn't look like much, but whose wood is so dense and hard that it was used extensively in shipbuilding. You'll also get a look at trees with weird names such as poisonwood, strangler fig, and gumbo-limbo.
<a href="http://www.captainslate.com">Underwater Easter Egg Hunt</a>: 305-451-3020
Join Captain Spencer Slate on a shallow-water dive/snorkel/glass-bottom boat trip April 16 as he dresses up as the Easter Bunny and leads the tenth annual underwater Easter egg hunt. Prizes will be awarded to everyone who attends, but there's a special surprise for whoever is lucky enough to find the golden egg.
For lodging packages at the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost in Islamorada, <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/islamoradapackages/">GO HERE</a>.
ST. PETE BEACH
<a href="http://www.swimwithourfish.com">Get Tanked!</a>
You just can't help gazing at the mesmerizing peacefulness of the 33,500-gallon aquarium at the RumFish Grill at Guy Harvey Outpost, a Tradewinds Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach. Filled with numerous species of colorful, native tropical fish, it was designed and built by the crew on Animal Planet's popular television show, TANKED. Lately it has added some new inhabitants, including two stingrays, Atlantic blue tangs, doctorfish, ocean surgeonfish, and a large French angelfish--enhancing its hypnotic appeal.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/14352097_1101744903237377_6817329903301162398_o.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4628" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/14352097_1101744903237377_6817329903301162398_o.png" alt="14352097_1101744903237377_6817329903301162398_o" width="1179" height="579" /></a>
But you don't have to be content to just admire the aquarium's residents from the restaurant. Visitors aged 8 and up are invited to plunge right in with these friendly sea creatures on guided snorkeling tours. It's safe, fun, and a lot more exciting than watching "Finding Dory" on TV.
<a href="http://www.tampabayboatshows.com">Tampa Bay Boat Show</a>
Check out a variety of watercraft from kayaks to cabin cruisers at St. Petersburg's expansive Tropicana Field March 10-12. Boats new and used will be on display indoors and outdoors. You may end up towing your new purchase back home after spring break. Admission is free; parking costs $6.
Art Shows - <a href="http://www.tarponspringschamber.com">Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival</a> and <a href="http://www.mainsailart.org">Mainsail Arts Festival in St. Pete</a>
Make plans to attend the 43rd annual Fine Arts Festival on the Bayou in Tarpon Springs April 8-9. Held at Craig Park on the scenic Spring Bayou, it will feature as many as 250 exhibitors of a wide range of juried art. The event also includes food and live entertainment. Admission is $5, with free parking and shuttle service.
Then on April 22-23, St. Petersburg will host the 42nd annual Mainsail Art Festival at waterfront Vinoy Park. Peruse paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, tapestries and many other media while listening to live music and munching on local treats. Kids will be able to create their own artworks in a special tent; adult professional artists will vie for a share of a $60,000 prize purse. Admission is free.
To arrange your stay at Guy Harvey Outpost, a Tradewinds Beach Resort, <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/st-pete-beach/">GO HERE</a>.
ST. AUGUSTINE
<a href="http://www.floridasbirdingandphotofest.com">Florida's Birding & Photo Fest</a>
Attend workshops and lectures on birding and photography; take walking, boating and kayaking tours of scenic woods and waters; and add to your life list in this April 26-30 outdoors extravaganza.
The event will be based at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Estuarine Research Reserve, located just off A-1-A about halfway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Outdoors and photography gear will be on display and food trucks will be standing by to serve hungry hikers. Some of the outdoor tours already are sold out, so make a reservation now. There's a $25 registration fee. Cash and prizes will be awarded in a photo contest.
<a href="http://www.alligatorfarm.com">Alligator Farm Zoological Park</a>
This is the only place in the world where you can see all 24 of the world's alligator and crocodile species in one place-- including Maximo, a 15 1 2-foot-long, 45 year-old Australian croc. Other reptiles such as the Komodo dragon are housed here as well. An ancient, spreading oak in the middle of the park serves as a scenic rookery for many colorful local birds and provides limitless photo ops. You can tour the park on foot or take a zip line tour.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/16711474_10154845538210803_6926099617369395332_n.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4629" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/16711474_10154845538210803_6926099617369395332_n.jpg" alt="16711474_10154845538210803_6926099617369395332_n" width="583" height="418" /></a>
<a href="http://www.saaquarium.com">St. Augustine Aquarium</a>
This just-opened, 80,000-gallon aquarium holds more than 200 marine fish, and also features a shark and stingray cove. There are hands-on displays and opportunities to snorkel with the tank's inhabitants. An odd-looking guitarfish and a friendly nurse shark are among the highlights. Future plans call for a zip line and educational facilities.
More information on Guy Harvey Outpost, St. Augustine coming soon! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/no-end-to-spring-break-family-fun-at-guy-harvey-outpost/){kind=link}
TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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