After Keith Overton’s infant daughter underwent a successful heart transplant, he mentioned to her cardiologist how difficult it must be waiting for a new heart for young patients in such desperate …
Just because the kiddos have gone back to school doesn’t necessarily mean the end of vacation season. Families can extend their summer fun into fall with some terrific Florida weekend getaways. …
When Bradenton, FL. mortgage broker Courtland Hunt competes in the St. Pete Open, he doesn’t fool around. The 2015 winner of the spearfishing tournament’s pelagic division with a 73.3-pound …
Snook: it’s one of Florida’s most popular game fish for several really good reasons. You can catch a really big one close to shore–sometimes literally right in your backyard–in …
May 23rd marks the 17th annual observance of World Turtle Day, where people around the world are encouraged to celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats. Several Guy Harvey …
Kayaking the shallows of Shell Key Preserve near St. Pete Beach, our group of 11 is being shadowed by some very determined cormorants. The black water birds with jade-green eyes paddle only a few feet …
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 …
Guy Harvey’s RumFish Grill opens Friday May 16th on St Pete Beach. The Grand Openning coincides with Animal Planet’s show “Tanked,” featuring the massive tanks installed at RumFish. …
ESCAPE KIT * A two-night stay for up to 6 in a Courtyard View Suite, Sundays through Thursdays ($299), or Fridays and Saturdays ($359) * $25 voucher toward breakfast or lunch at Guy’s Gulfside Grill …
The newly rebranded Guy Harvey Outpost, a TradeWinds Beach Resort has jumped right in to supporting conservation efforts on the Gulf Coast by becoming title sponsor of Florida Gulf Coast Center for Fishing …
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![](mailto:?subject=Fishing for Hearts: Fun and Worthy Cause&body=After Keith Overton's infant daughter underwent a successful heart transplant, he mentioned to her cardiologist how difficult it must be waiting for a new heart for young patients in such desperate need.
But the doctor surprised Overton by telling him that isn't the hardest part.
"He said, 'Giving a heart to a kid whose family doesn't have the wherewithal to keep up the treatment,' " Overton recalled. "In many cases, one parent has to stop working to go to the hospital for follow-up care."
The conversation stuck with Overton, president of Guy Harvey Outpost St. Pete Beach. Grateful his family had the means to care for daughter MacKenzie, he wanted to give back by helping other families who aren't so lucky.
So in 2009, he founded the Guy Harvey Fishing for Hearts Tournament-- a catch, photo, measure, and release contest that raises funds for Athletes for Hearts -- the Overtons' charity to assist parents of kids with heart conditions and boost medical research on heart disease. The ninth annual tournament, to be held Sept. 21-22, also benefits the Ronald McDonald House, a home-away-from-home for families of pediatric patients in the Tampa Bay area.
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The 2016 tournament hosted a record 44 boats and raised $155,000 for its two charities. This year, Overton is expecting upwards of 50. The target species are redfish, snook and sea trout, with prizes awarded for greatest total length of individual and aggregate fish.
Captain Mike Anderson, host of the popular Reel Animals television show, will handpick the best inshore guides in the Tampa Bay area and assign them to each angling team. The event includes a kick-off gala at the RumFish Grill on Sept. 21 with dinner, drinks and a silent auction and a day of inshore fishing followed by an awards presentation Sept. 22.
As for Fishing for Hearts' inspiration? MacKenzie Overton is an athletic, 22-year-old student studying hospitality at St. Petersburg College who works part time at a local winery and at the Outpost's water sports concession. Her heart is just fine.
For tournament registration and information, go to the tournament's <a href="https://rmhctampabay.org/fishing-for-hearts/">web site</a>, or call 813.258.6430, ext. 2.
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 to put you on a limit, like he did with my dive buddy and me two weeks ago. Then have your scallops expertly prepared at either Katch Twenty Two in nearby Lecanto (352-746-6691) or at West 82 Bar and Grill at the Plantation on Crystal River resort (<a href="https://www.plantationoncrystalriver.com/">www.plantationoncrystalriver.com</a>), which is also a great place to stay. Another fun water activity is to snorkel with Crystal River's resident manatees. Book a tour with Colin's mom, Captain Cindi Guy of Majestic Manatee Tours (<a href="http://www.majesticmanateetours.com/">http://www.majesticmanateetours.com</a>) who will put you up close to the huge, friendly marine mammals. And if you're thinking about getting hitched while you're in Crystal River, talk to Cindi. She's licensed to perform weddings and even operates her own wedding chapel.
Fish, Dive St. Pete Beach
Fishing is excellent both inshore and offshore in the St. Petersburg area in late summer and fall. And Captain Tim Kehoe, the water sports guru at Guy Harvey Outpost St. Pete Beach, can hook you up. Wade the resort's beach and catch a hard-fighting snook, or further out, a black drum using live shrimp for bait. You might also bump into pompano and flounder. If you'd like to explore the offshore Gulf for red and gag grouper, Captain Tim will arrange a charter or party fishing excursion for you. And you can have your catch cooked deliciously at the resort's RumFish Grill.
If you make it to the area Sept. 7-10, you can compete in a Lionfish Safari hosted by the non-profit Reef Monitoring, Inc. at North Straub Park in St. Pete. The event combines a spear fishing tournament with an educational, fun festival featuring lionfish tastings, live music, kids' activities, marine conservation programs and cash prizes for the Safari winners. Register at <a href="https://www.reefmonitoring.org/">www.reefmonitoring.org</a>.
To book your stay, visit <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/">www.guyharveyoutpost.com</a>.
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Slam Fish, Golf Balls, and Shake Flippers with a Sea Lion in Islamorada
There is no better place to score flats fishing's big three --bonefish, tarpon, and permit-- than Islamorada on the cusp of summer and fall. From first light to late morning, you may encounter tarpon in the 30-to-50-pound range slow-rolling in Florida Bay that will eagerly gulp a fly or live bait. Bonefish-- some as large as eight pounds--can be found tailing on ocean side flats on the incoming tide, and they are happy to devour a live shrimp or a fly pattern that mimics one. To complete the slam, look for permit on rocky flats near channel edges mainly in the back country. They can be extremely tough to catch on fly rod, but hardly ever refuse a live, silver-dollar crab if it lands anywhere near them. Permit, tarpon and bonefish all are for catch-and-release only, so capture just their images for your Facebook page. To book a fishing charter, check out Bud n' Mary's Fishing Marina at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.budnmarys.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.budnmarys.com</a>.
Visitors who enjoy both boating and golf can combine their hobbies in the Conch Scramble charity golf tournament Sept. 30 in Islamorada. Teams of four, plus a designated boat driver "caddy", stop at nine waterfront venues where they come ashore to tee off. Each player gets two shots at floating holes using biodegradable golf balls that dissolve into fish food after a few days in the water. Proceeds benefit athletic programs and facilities for Keys students. To register, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conchscramble.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.conchscramble.com</a>.
A favorite family destination in Islamorada is Theater of the Sea-- one of the oldest marine mammal facilities in the world--open since 1946. Here you can watch dolphins perform aerobatics, become acquainted (and paint a picture) with a sea lion, swim with nurse sharks, and visit Quasimodo-- a green sea turtle who wears a special custom life jacket. For more information, go to <a href="https://theaterofthesea.com/">https://theaterofthesea.com</a>.
Book your stay at the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost at <a href="https://guyharveyoutpost.com/">www.guyharveyoutpost.com</a> or call 1-800-513-5257.
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![](mailto:?subject=Nature, Notoriety Highlight St. Pete Kayak Tour&body=Kayaking the shallows of Shell Key Preserve near St. Pete Beach, our group of 11 is being shadowed by some very determined cormorants. The black water birds with jade-green eyes paddle only a few feet away, then dive down and follow us underwater.
"They're looking for fish that the paddles stir up," explains guide Ross Heintzelman of Coastal Kayak Charters.
The cormorants accompanied us for probably a half-mile to a mangrove island that serves as a rookery for pelicans and other birds, then faded off as we paused and floated.
Heintzelman and fellow guide Doug Allen noticed a long strand of heavy monofilament fishing line trailing from one of the pelicans roosting in the trees. The line was tangled in the boughs, tethering the pelican to its perch. The guides tried to retrieve the tag end of the line and bring the bird down to untangle it, but the pelican managed to pull free and flew away-- still trailing the fishing line.
Heintzelman and Allen were disappointed, but decided to come back later and try again.
"We've probably rescued 18 pelicans like that," Allen said.
We continued on, paddling over rich sea grass meadows teeming with jumping mullet as graceful herons and fierce-looking ospreys passed overhead.
The guides stopped near an opening in another mangrove island and led the group single-file down a narrow tunnel through the tree cover. Tiny mangrove crabs scuttled up and down the prop roots, but no one was startled because Heintzelman had briefed us ahead of time.
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Emerging into open water, we paddled a short distance before entering our second tunnel. This natural architecture reminds me of a darkened cathedral, but with a leafy canopy instead of a granite ceiling. Surprisingly, there were no mosquitoes.
The third and longest mangrove tunnel was through Sawyer Key which, according to Allen, once served as a drug and money cache for celebrated former marijuana smuggler Steve Lamb of St. Pete Beach. The affable Lamb and his Robin Hood-like band made numerous midnight runs between Jamaica and Florida's west coast in the 1960s and early 70s.
The smugglers were arrested in 1973 in Steinhatchee, Fla. in what was then the largest marijuana bust in U.S. history. Once out of prison, Lamb wrote a book about his exploits entitled "The Smuggler's Ghost". Allen said rumors persist that coolers stuffed with currency may still be buried somewhere in the sand mounds of Sawyer Key. I couldn't help staring hard at those mounds as we passed by.
Departing the shady gloom of Sawyer Key, we headed back across open water toward the put-in at Tierra Verde Bayway. The faithful cormorants accompanied us nearly all the way, skillfully dodging our paddles as they swam alongside us.
Heintzelman and Allen escorted a second group of kayakers in the preserve later that afternoon. But this time, they reported success in cutting the line from the tethered pelican we had encountered in the morning. They named it "Lucky 19".
If you would like to book a kayak trip with Coastal Kayak Charters, visit <a href="http://www.coastalkayakcharters.com">www.coastalkayakcharters.com</a>, or call 727.207.6342.
Check out St. Pete Beach package deals here: <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/special/">guyharveyoutpost.com/special</a>, or call the Guy Harvey Outpost Travel Desk at 800.513.5257.
Photos courtesy of Coastal Kayak Charters.
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![](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.
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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.
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<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.
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TRAVEL DESK : 800.513.5257
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