… and the 2021 GIFT Tournament winners are …
Congratulations to the boys on Capt. Mark Becton’s boat, as they were the winners of the 2021 Gasparilla Island Fly-fishing Tournament! It was held on Tuesday, Nov. 23, and $2,700 was raised for the Boca Grande Historical Center archival program. Shown here are Spencer Becton, Capt. Mark, winning angler Jacob Szatkowski and tournament founder and […]
2021 Lee County Parks & Recreation Turkey Hoop Shoot
Photos by Dusty and Cheryl Sponsored by Lee County Parks & Recreation and the Boca Beacon
This weekend the hoops, next week the GIFT
On Saturday, Nov. 20 you can show off your hoop-shooting prowess at the annual Turkey Hoop Shoot, sponsored by Lee County Parks and Recreation and the Boca Beacon. The action begins at 10 a.m. and the event is held on the basketball court at the Boca Grande Community Center. The Turkey Hoop Shoot contest is […]
GIFT Tournament set for November 23
Another island tradition is coming up, and if you’re a fly fisherman who loves to fish for redfish you won’t want to miss this one. On Tuesday, Nov. 23 the 26th annual Gasparilla Island Flyfishing Tournament will be held in local waters. Fishing begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m., so make sure […]
Winners! Manta Rays keeping the drama on the volleyball court, with the help of an island girl
Lemon Bay’s girls’ varsity volleyball team, the Manta Rays are on a winning streak and they’re determined to keep it going all the way to the state championship. On Tuesday night, the Manta Rays beat Nature Coast Tech 25-8, 25-14, 25-13 to win their Regional 4A-2 quarterfinal volleyball match. Leading the team is Lemon Bay […]
If we build it, will they come? The future Rookery at Wildflower Preserve
The Lemon Bay Conservancy and partners are proud to announce that after a decade of hard work, committed partnerships, a vast amount of volunteer hours and dedication to vision, they successfully completed the habitat restoration at Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve on January 25, 2021. Two small islands were purposefully created and are now located in […]
Friends of Cayo Costa to host Cayo Costa Day November 6
Celebrate Cayo Costa! Will be held at the Island State Park on Saturday, Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Affordable all-inclusive tickets feature round trip boat transportation from three departure points, all activities and a barbeque lunch catered by Big Nick’s BBQ. “This is a great opportunity to visit the park by boat […]
To DEET or not to DEET … that is the question
Developed by the U.S. Army in 1946, DEET is a synthetic chemical that provides one to six hours of total protection against mosquitoes. DEET has been used by hundreds of millions of people with an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population among those each year. For over 50 years, DEET has been the undisputed […]
The ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’ of spearfishing around Gasparilla Island
Just before our most recent bout of red tide the Boca Beacon received reports of several individuals spearfishing at the end of Belcher Road and in other locations around the south end, and two of the those anglers were confronted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. While […]
Fred was a dud, Grace got lost … what’s next?
While Fred came and went with a whimper, and Tropical Storm Grace turned into Hurricane Grace but decided to visit Mexico, Gasparilla Island has received more rain from afternoon thunderstorms than from any of the named storms. Grace strengthened to a hurricane Wednesday on its way toward Mexico, where it could make landfall and soak […]
