News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2013 CONTACT: Kim Iverson 877/SAFMC-10 or 843.571.4366 kim.iverson@safmc.net Joint Meeting on South Florida Management Issues and the Goliath Grouper Joint …
What Are Your Earth Day Plans?
21 Apr 201511:40 PM
Each year we honor our planet with Earth Day. Many of us participate in organized activities. Organized or not the most important thing to do is, get off the couch, get outside and get into nature! Ideally, get wet, but GET OUTSIDE!
Here are some Earth Day suggestions:
Get out early and listen to the birds. They have lots to say first thing in the morning.
Go for a sunrise beach walk. Take a bag with you and fill it with trash on your way back.
Take the dog to a new park. Heck, take the kids to the park too!
Go snorkeling in the nearest body of water. What is there to be discovered?
Count the turtle nests at Guy Harvey Outpost, St. Pete Beach
Lie on your back in the sand and let it the grains fill the voids to support you.
Enjoy your church’s Earth Day activities.
Bike a new trail, take a different route.
Watch for the Green Flash at sunset from Old Bahama Bay, Bimini Sands, the Islander Bayside, St. Pete Beach, or the Southern Cross Club.
Go paddle boarding on new waters or your favorite water.
Get away from city lights; lie on your back and count stars. (Island beaches are excellent for this.)
Walk through wet grass barefoot.
Paint a picture.
Plant something pretty in your yard.
Feed your senses, close your eyes and smell the plants, the sea and the earth around you.
Get on your hands and knees and grab hold of mother earth. Give her a hug, she deserves one.
Join Guy at Jacksonville Beach this Saturday April 25th 9-11 am for the Jax Beach Clean-Up! Registration takes place in front of Seawalk Pavilion at the corner of 1st Street N. & 1st Ave. N. Jacksonville Beach.
EarthDay.org has lots of organized activities for you to choose from.
PLEASE take the time to get outside and enjoy your planet.
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
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![](mailto:?subject=What Are Your Earth Day Plans?&body=Each year we honor our planet with Earth Day. Many of us participate in organized activities. Organized or not the most important thing to do is, get off the couch, get outside and get into nature! Ideally, get wet, but GET OUTSIDE!
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/nasa_modis_wonderglobe_lrg.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2686" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/nasa_modis_wonderglobe_lrg.jpg?w=660" alt="Image converted using ifftoany" width="660" height="660" /></a>
Here are some Earth Day suggestions:
Get out early and listen to the birds. They have lots to say first thing in the morning.
Go for a sunrise beach walk. Take a bag with you and fill it with trash on your way back.
Take the dog to a new park. Heck, take the kids to the park too!
Go snorkeling in the nearest body of water. What is there to be discovered?
Count the turtle nests at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/st-pete-beach.html">Guy Harvey Outpost, St. Pete Beach</a>
Lie on your back in the sand and let it the grains fill the voids to support you.
<a href="http://ghofish.com/">Go Fish</a>!
Enjoy your church’s Earth Day activities.
Bike a new trail, take a different route.
Watch for the Green Flash at sunset from <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/west-end-grand-bahama-island/overview.html">Old Bahama Bay</a>, <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/bimini-bahamas/bimini-sands-bimini.html">Bimini Sands</a>, <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/islamorada-fl/rest.html">the Islander Bayside</a>, <a href="http://http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/st-pete-beach.html">St. Pete Beach</a>, or the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/southern-cross-club/overview.html">Southern Cross Club</a>.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vaughfred-bonefish1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1424" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/vaughfred-bonefish1.jpg?w=660" alt="VaughFred.Bonefish" width="660" height="440" /></a>
Go paddle boarding on new waters or your favorite water.
Get away from city lights; lie on your back and count stars. (Island beaches are excellent for this.)
Walk through wet grass barefoot.
Paint a picture.
Plant something pretty in your yard.
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/adventures/diving.html">Go Diving!</a>
Feed your senses, close your eyes and smell the plants, the sea and the earth around you.
Get on your hands and knees and grab hold of mother earth. Give her a hug, she deserves one.
Join Guy at Jacksonville Beach this Saturday April 25th 9-11 am for the <a href="http://www.guyharvey.com/">Jax Beach Clean-Up</a>! Registration takes place in front of Seawalk Pavilion at the corner of 1st Street N. & 1st Ave. N. Jacksonville Beach.
<a href="http://www.earthday.org/">EarthDay.org</a> has lots of organized activities for you to choose from.
PLEASE take the time to get outside and enjoy your planet.
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>
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/00-gho-logo.jpg"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2458" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/00-gho-logo.jpg?w=660" alt="00 GHO-Logo" width="500" height="500" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/what-are-your-earth-day-plans/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Goliath Grouper, Grouper & Snapper Management Meeting Jan 7-9&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/goliath-at-hand.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image" id="i-1785" alt="Image" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/goliath-at-hand.jpg?w=650" /></a>
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2013
CONTACT: Kim Iverson
877/SAFMC-10 or <a href="tel:843.571.4366" target="_blank">843.571.4366</a>
<a href="mailto:kim.iverson@safmc.net" target="_blank">kim.iverson@safmc.net</a>
Joint Meeting on South Florida Management Issues and the Goliath Grouper Joint Council Steering Committee Scheduled
A joint committee of the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils will meet January 7 - 9, 2014 in Key Largo, FL to discuss South Florida Management Issues. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Key Largo Resort and will begin on Tuesday, January 7th at 8:30 a.m., and conclude on Thursday, January 9th by 12 p.m.
Agenda items for the meeting of the Joint Council Committee on South Florida Management Issues include:
Presentation on the South Florida Issues workshops held in July/August 2013;
Overview of status and trends for South Florida species; and
Discussion of species specific management concerns and next steps for yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, hogfish, mangrove snapper, shallow-water groupers, Nassau grouper, warsaw grouper, and speckled hind.
Additionally, the Ad Hoc Goliath Grouper Joint Council Committee and the Joint Council Committee On South Florida Management Issues will meet to review the last stock assessment for goliath grouper and to hear a presentation on the recent Goliath Grouper Stakeholder Workshops and survey. Other items on the agenda include the review of recommendations from the Ad Hoc Goliath Grouper Joint Science workshop and a review of ongoing goliath grouper research.
Meeting information including the full agenda can be found at: <a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001-y8UF1K6NmIaewaMaxtnA7z8Bu7NDuGU1xXsnFysAfc_OHCZxtyeqRNHW0IeTHQQlMjkBKNOsreHOexhHvrxonJQApwKrab2mA5vnZxHL9Ya1djm93AQZFxZ3zu15vhGHKam55nuePvIh3KwNpVZIb52XrYLtguuUawqNusL8y1tJTPeDG-wLTMr7RyCJxTaSSX2W4Z4zTNAa6_sJ_9UFCGxnHa4xMCB9_DKBQUsB2tLZU9JH8lRI3b_SqnNotp_k2pVK7q--0L_z8aOkN8QOsTya88ZyKqwyh04u55GzqkelLalG-YXCv11k24t5QlGG-fIxwzVCjq-b3JhOETEUAxZDzicyLwRBjC4TZx7nP6ony6jfzl04Qulgt0x-bVzP_E2ILK6bBU=&c=rvA1hCGDuSeTSKycMBZPEzj8S2GbrL2PVTNdThCSvGcN_MhYTaXMXA==&ch=pz6LpIWwvqO0AECK4m6CTJGzPYROaUAatZiloCPNuO_JcftFyEIrNg==" target="_blank">http://safmc.net/meetings/other-meetings</a>.
Photo Courtesy of <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/adventures/fishing/offshore/captain-randy-towe.html">Capt. Randy Towe</a>
https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/goliath-grouper-grouper-snapper-management-meeting-jan-7-9/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Talks Fisheries Symposium & Guy Harvey Outpost Grand Opening with Fishing Florida Radio&body=<a href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/mp3/guy_harvey_ffr_interview.mp3"><img class="size-full wp-image-1446 alignleft" title="Guy Harvey Interview with Fishing Florida Radio" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/fishing-florida-radiologo11.jpg" alt="" width="130" height="88" /></a>Guy recently spoke with BooDreaux, Steve and Capt. Mike of <a title="FFR web site" href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/" target="_blank">Fishing Florida Radio</a> to discuss the upcoming <a title="Fisheries Symposium web site" href="http://www.gulffisheriessymposium.com/" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Symposium</a>, which is being held this week in conjunction with the Grand Opening of the new <a title="GHO on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.297039977030459.74495.238365306231260&type=3" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost on St. Pete Beach</a>. Click <a title="Guy Harvey Interview with FFR" href="http://www.fishingfloridaradio.com/mp3/guy_harvey_ffr_interview.mp3" target="_blank">here</a> to listen to the interview. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-talks-fisheries-symposium-guy-harvey-outpost-grand-opening-with-fishing-florida-radio/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=2015 Bonfire Series Is Off to a Red Hot Start at Old Bahama Bay&body=
Sharkbait kicked off the 2015 <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/2015-burning-wahoo-tournament/overview.html">Guy Harvey Outpost Bonfire Series </a>on day one as the first boat to weigh fish. Their five largest wahoo totaled out at 182.3 pounds with their biggest tipping the scales at 44.1 pounds. Side Show weighed in with a 52.0 pound wahoo to push their way to the top of the Largest Fish category.
A succession of boats weighed fish but none displaced Sharkbait until the second hour of weigh-in when Fishin A' Loan brought five large wahoo to the scales. To heighten the drama, Fishin A' Loan weighed their smallest fish first and the largest last. They had three fish over 50 pounds including the largest of the day at 63.9 pounds. Their total weight for day one was 239.8 pounds!
The drama did not stop there as local favorites Matchless arrived at the weigh station just minutes before the closing bell at 5pm. Their three fish totaled 87.8 pounds to put them in third place at the end of day one.
As the evening festivities began the wind began to build. Day two would prove to be more challenging fishing. All the boats got out and the leaders put in extra effort trying to take advantage of the "No limits," fishing. Sharkbait was first back to the weigh station with one wahoo that just missed the 20-pound minimum weight and a Pelagic Slam of Dolphin, Tuna & Kingfish. Their aggregate total did not change but no team had a better time.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fishin-a-loan_2215-winners.jpg"><img class="size-large wp-image-2642" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fishin-a-loan_2215-winners.jpg?w=550" alt="Winners: Team Fishin A' Loan with their day two (2) catch." width="550" height="396" /></a>Winners: Team Fishin A' Loan with their day two (2) catch.
All eyes were on Fishin A Loan, would they be able to add to their total or would another boat have the hot hand for day two? Again they were able to find the fish catching a 60.5 pounder to back up their day one lunker and four more for a total of 208.2 pounds on day two. This gave Fishin A Loan a two day total of 448.0 pounds and a substantial lead. Drama remained as Matchless once again was the last boat back to the dock with minutes to spare. A single 100-pounder could jump them in to Second Place. Alas it was not to be as they raced down the dock with a 36.0-pounder in arm bumping their total to 123.8 pounds and a solid Third Place finish.
Final Results
Winners: Fishin A Loan 448.0 pounds
Runners Up: Sharkbait 182.3 pounds
Third Place: Matchless 123.8 pounds
Fourth Place: Game Over 87.0 pounds
Fifth Place: Llangus 69.5 pounds
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/2015-bonfire-series-is-off-to-a-red-hot-start-at-old-bahama-bay/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Join Us for Sea Turtle Release Saturday at the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost&body=The public is invited to join the Turtle Hospital for Miley's release back to the wild on Saturday, May 2nd at 10:30 a.m. at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/florida/islamoradafl-keys/islamorada-islander-resort/">The Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost </a>M.M. 82.1 on the Oceanside.
The Turtle Hospital ambulance will arrive at the Islander in Islamorada at 10:30 a.m. and Miley will be released off of the beach promptly at 11:00 a.m. <a href="http://www.turtlehospital.org/patient/miley/">Miley</a> was rescued off of Dove Key in early March where she was found floating and what rescuer's described as "twerking". The rescuer's named her Miley, after Miley Cyrus.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/turtle-release-4.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2717 size-large" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/turtle-release-4.jpg?w=660" alt="DCIM100GOPRO" width="660" height="495" /></a>Loggerheads nest on beaches at or near most all Guy Harvey Outpost properties. It seems they know good fishing and diving spots.
Miley is a sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle. She arrived at the hospital on March 8th following a boat strike. She weighs 117 pounds. Loggerheads are the largest hard shell sea turtles and adults typically weigh between 180 and 440 pound. They can grow to over 1000 pounds. Loggerheads are considered a "Threatened" species and are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Following a treatment course at the <a href="http://www.turtlehospital.org/">Turtle Hospital </a>that included broad spectrum antibiotics, lactulose, beano, vitamins, and a healthy diet of squid and fish, Miley is ready to hit the main stage. Miley is swimming strong, healthy, and no longer "twerking". Bring your friends and help us to give Miley a proper send-off on Saturday!
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-2718 size-full" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/gho-turtle-release.jpg" alt="GHO-Turtle-Release" width="612" height="792" />More Information on Guy Harvey Outpost & their great resorts: <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/" target="_parent">http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://www.ghofish.com/" target="_parent">www.ghofish.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>
For Guy Harvey Outpost on YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/GuyHarveyOutpost" target="_parent">http://www.youtube.com/user/GuyHarveyOutpost</a>
<a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2458 size-medium" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/00-gho-logo.jpg?w=300" alt="00 GHO-Logo" width="300" height="300" /></a> https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/join-us-for-sea-turtle-release-saturday-at-the-islander-resort-a-guy-harvey-outpost/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bow to the Silver King!&body=Any day now, long lines of large silver gamefish with glittering scales can be seen making their way along Miami Beach from Haulover Inlet to Government Cut, and throughout Florida Bay and the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. It's Tarpon Time--that bewitching season when local anglers and those from all over flock to South Florida in hopes of engaging in glorious battle with one of the hardest-fighting and most enigmatic fish in the world.
From now through about the end of June, wherever coastal water temperatures hit that magical 75-degree mark, schools of tarpon will aggregate in the annual marine version of the singles bar, looking to hook up, and then later head off to deeper water to spawn. If tide and weather conditions are favorable, they might just hook up with you too-- tempted by your offerings of live shrimp, crabs or mullet, or maybe a realistic fly pattern or swimming plug. But catching and releasing a tarpon is NEVER a given.
"Remember-- tarpon are a mystery," said veteran light-tackle guide Captain Joe Gonzalez of Miami, who fishes customers in his 18-foot Hells Bay skiff, "Funny Bone".
According to Gonzalez, March through May is prime time for pursuing tarpon in Biscayne Bay. In early winter, he said, the fish key on shrimp migrating through passes and channels on the outgoing tide at night.
In March, he said, "they're already moving inside the bay-- in the inlets, basins, channels, and around the bridges. If the weather gets nasty, they move offshore and go south, then you get another push of fish."
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tarpon1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4598" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tarpon1.jpg" alt="tarpon1" width="2100" height="1358" /></a>
Daytime fishing gets better, and as the waters warm and flush swarms of swimming crabs, it's time to use those silver-dollar-sized crustaceans for bait.
Gonzalez likes to fly fish for tarpon on the ocean side of the Biscayne Bay barrier islands all the way south to Key Largo.
"They're rolling and you can sight-fish for them in the basins and areas where they stage," he said.
There is nothing quite like sight-fishing for tarpon-- especially with a fly rod, since it's always a challenge to entice a wild animal to eat a man-made creation of fur and feathers.
You have to cast your bait very near the tarpon's mouth because it doesn't want to work very hard to catch a meal. Once the fish engulfs the offering, you must set the hook before it can spit it out-- a tricky business that goes wrong more than it goes right. When the tarpon realizes it has a hook in its jaw, it almost always jumps out of the water, and you have to see it coming and perform the maneuver of 'bowing to the silver king'-- pointing the rod down and toward the fish. If all goes well and you are still connected, you'll probably be engaged in battle for quite some time--either until you bring the fish up to the gunwales to be released or it breaks your line. Good luck.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tarpon1-1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4599" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Tarpon1-1.jpg" alt="Tarpon1 (1)" width="4320" height="3240" /></a>
Biscayne Bay doesn't harbor as many tarpon during the spring as the Keys, Gonzalez says, because the waters of the island chain are a convergence zone for tarpon migrating from both the Gulf and Atlantic. But you might find Biscayne Bay to be less crowded with anglers than the busy flats of the Keys, and the fish tend to hang out in the bay into July-- after they've gone AWOL in the Keys.
In the Keys, you'll find tarpon in the channels beneath the U.S. 1 bridges; on the flats and channels in the vast back country; along the edges of ocean side flats; and there's usually big school right in busy Key West Harbor. Baits include pilchards, mullet, crabs, and pinfish.
One phenomenon peculiar to the Keys is the palolo worm hatch which usually occurs on the full and new moons of May and June during a falling tide in late afternoon.
When these magenta-colored marine worms start popping to the surface, tarpon gobble them to the exclusion of everything else. One Key West guide describes the fish as acting like they're on LSD. Double-digit releases on fly patterns that imitate the worms are common. Even if you miss all your strikes, it's a marvel to observe.
Tarpon charter openings are filling up fast. To book a trip with any Outfitter <a href="http://guyharveyoutpost.com/expeditions/expedition-adventures/tarpon-tango/">Click Here</a> or call the Travel Desk at 800-513-5257. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bow-to-the-silver-king/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject="Whale Sharks Are Our Friends" at Guy Harvery Outpost&body=Plankton eating Whale Sharks do not have the teeth that give some sharks that "Over Bite" reputation. These gentle giants grow to 40 feet long and have a sense of curiosity. They have been known to hang around and almost study divers and snorkelers.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whaleshark2-large.jpg"><img class="wp-image-2140 size-large" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whaleshark2-large.jpg?w=660" alt="Isla Mujeres Whale Shark Photo: Guy Harvey PhD." width="660" height="418" /></a>
On some levels Whale Sharks may be the most "User Friendly Sharks:" big, no teeth, warm waters, frequently at snorkel depth, and curious enough to interact with divers. There is still much we do not know about them but one thing we do know is that they can be seen by Guy Harvey Outpost divers at the <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/isabela-island/property-overview.html">Iguana Crossing </a>Galapagos, <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/bimini-bahamas/bimini-sands-bimini.html">Bimini Sands</a>, Bahamas, but almost guaranteed at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/isla-mujeres-mexico/overview.html">Hotel Playa Media Luna </a>at Isla Mujeres, Mexico. For more info on our <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/beyond/isla-mujeres-mexico/dive.html">Whale Shark Encounters at Isla Mujeres</a> (scroll to the bottom of the page).
To learn more about our Whale Shark Encounters call our Reservations line at 800-513-5257 or reservations@guyharveyoutpost.com https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/whale-sharks-are-our-friends-at-guy-harvery-outpost/){kind=link}
 in Orange Beach, Alabama){kind=link}
 in Orange Beach, Alabama&body=[Orange Beach, Ala.--]Scuba diving 90 feet deep on the sunken coastal freighter "The LuLu", I was completely surrounded by a curtain of fish: shimmering minnows; fairly large amberjacks chasing them; gray, red and vermillion snapper; and convict-striped spadefish. The shifting schools covered much of the surface of the 271-foot ship. A few lurid-colored exotic lionfish lurked around various ambush points, but unfortunately none of us aboard the Down Under dive charterboat had brought a spear gun.
Too bad, because we could have carried our catch over to the popular restaurant SALT at SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach where the dive boat docks. Chef Chris Sherrill and Chef Landon Benton would have prepared the lionfish in multiple creative dishes like they do with just about any other kind of fish their customers bring in. (More on that later.) Meanwhile, we simply enjoyed the swirl of colorful marine life populating the wreck.
"The LuLu" is the largest shipwreck in Alabama's vast array of artificial reefs, which include (but are not limited to): Army tanks, culvert pipes, bridge rubble, oil and gas platforms, big ships, small boats, and planes. Despite claiming only about 53 miles of coastline, Alabama boasts more than 14,000 manmade structures deployed in the Gulf from right off the beach to about 60 miles offshore, covering about 1,200 square nautical miles. In and around Mobile Bay lie another 30 smaller structures. The state plans to deploy another 600 reefs from the shore out to 70 feet deep, and it's almost ready to sink another big ship perhaps as early as this winter-- a 250-foot retired oceanographic survey vessel called the Fairfield New Venture--in about 125 feet of water.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris2.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4946" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris2.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1367" /></a>
"We consider ourselves to have the largest and most productive artificial reef program in the country," said Craig Newton, a biologist who serves as Alabama's artificial reef chief.
For Newton, the artificial reef program is all about creating a diverse set of habitats for a wide range of marine animals-- as well as diving and fishing destinations for the state's residents and visitors.
"The more diverse you can make the artificial reef program, it's better able to withstand fishing pressure and produce large numbers of snappers each year," he said.
For example, Newton said, species like amberjack and snapper prefer larger, taller structures like ships and oil rigs while other species tend to favor smaller, shallower havens. And he plans to create "stepping stone" reefs to establish connectivity between near-shore and offshore regions. Some species such as gray snapper spend their early lives in inshore estuaries, then head to deep water to reproduce.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris4.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4947" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/LilaHarris4.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1399" /></a>
A big reason Alabama has so many man-made diving and fishing reefs off its shores is that in addition to its own deployments, it permits private individuals to sink their own -- just as long as they are properly inspected to ensure they don't pollute the waters or pose a safety hazard. While these serve as private honey holes whose locations are not published on Alabama's artificial reef website <a href="http://www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/">www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/</a>, anyone who stumbles across them may fish or dive them.
On my second dive of the day with Down Under, we visited the Captain Shirley Brown, a 128-foot ferro-cement ship that once served as a waterborne club before being sent to the bottom about 85 feet deep two years ago. On that dive, I saw more amberjack and snapper and even larger lionfish than on the LuLu, and my dive buddy Chandra Wright spent her safety stop 20 feet deep fending off a pesky remora that tried to stick to her wetsuit, then gave her a kiss on the cheek before swimming off.
That evening at SALT, Sherrill prepared a delicious feast for Wright and me and our party including a charcuterie of meats and cheeses, quail gumbo, and crabmeat-stuffed grouper with fresh vegetable succotash. He told us to bring him lionfish the next time we dive, and said he could have created something from the remora if Wright had let it stick to her! He wasn't joking; he has whipped up culinary treasures from supposed 'trash' fish at other Alabama eateries. And I bet it would have tasted great.
(Photos courtesy of Lila Harris)
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If you plan a visit to the Orange Beach, Alabama area, a great place to stay is the Hilton Garden Inn, located on the beach. Visit <a href="http://HiltonGardenInnOrangeBeach.com">HiltonGardenInnOrangeBeach.com</a>. https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/dive-dive-dive-and-fish-in-orange-beach-alabama/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Get Ready to Wahoo with the IGFA & Old Bahama Bay&body=Capt. Tony DiGiulian Teaches How to Catch Wintertime Wahoo at the <a href="http://www.igfa.org/Educate/School-of-Sportfishing.aspx">IGFA's School of Sportfishing </a>next Monday, December 15, 2014, 7-10pm.
Known as one of the fastest fish in the ocean, wahoo don't last long on a dinner plate either. Capt. DiGiulian's class will teach anglers how to target and more consistently catch wahoo in the cooler months of the year. He is co-founder of the IGFA School of Sportfishing and has lectured on fishing techniques around the world through his <a href="http://www.saltwaterproconsulting.com/">Saltwater Professional Consulting</a>.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/tony-wahoo.png"><img class="wp-image-2426" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/tony-wahoo.png" alt="Tony Wahoo" width="600" height="284" /></a>Captain Anthony DiGulian and his favorite wahoo rig.
Unlike most locales where wahoo are often considered incidental catches due to their somewhat nomadic and loner nature, at <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/west-end-grand-bahama-island/overview.html">Old Bahama Bay, a Guy Harvey Outpost Expedition Lodge</a> they are caught consistently October to March. Double and triple headers of wahoo are relatively common during the season. One-hundred pounders are caught each year in the Bahamas. Wahoo grow quite large with the all tackle record reaching 184 pounds. Just north of <a href="http://www.guyharveyoutpost.com/destinations/bahamas/west-end-grand-bahama-island/overview.html">Old Bahama Bay </a>is the area known as "Wahoo Alley." This stretch, where the Little Bahama Bank meets the Gulfstream, gets special recognition on fishing charts. Wahoo also make great table fair and can be found at your local sushi bar as Ono. To celebrate WAHOO Season, Guy Harvey Outpost is hosting the <a href="http://ghofish.com/">Wahoo Bonfire Festival and Tournament </a>at Old Bahama Bay February 26th - March 1st 2015. The Wahoo Bonfire Festival will feature a variety of activities including a Burning Wahoo Sculpture by artist Bobby Little.
<a href="http://ghofish.com/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-2436" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/burning-wahoo-logo.jpg" alt="http://ghofish.com/" width="375" height="375" /></a>
The Wintertime Wahoo Techniques class will be held at the <a href="http://igfa.org/">International Game Fish Association's </a> Headquaters in Dania Beach, FL. Cost per class is $100 USD for IGFA members and $150 USD for non IGFA members. The fee covers the cost of the class, course materials, and tackle used for activities during each class. For more details call Anthony Vedral at 954-924-4254 or e-mail <a href="mailto:avedral@igfa.org?subject=IGFA%20School%20of%20Sportfishing">avedral@igfa.org</a>
For Fishing with Guy Harvey Outpost: <a href="http://www.ghofish.com/" target="_parent">www.ghofish.com</a>
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