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Faithful II takes first at GIKC

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Never underestimate the power of children who love to fish. This was the eighth year that fact was proven, as 23 tarpon were released from 10 of the 35 boats that fished the 2018 Gasparilla Island Kids Classic. The ages of the children ranged from 5 to 15, with 131 children […]

Profile: Capt. Chris ONeill

■ BY SUE ERWIN You may have heard him talk about fishing tips on the radio, caught a glimpse of him on Big Water Adventures television show or spotted him out fishing in Boca Grande Pass. No matter where he may be, he’s the guy known for one main thing – chasin’ tail. Capt. Chris […]

Kids Classic up next this weekend

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE For eight years now, kids have eagerly looked forward to having their day in the spotlight in Boca Grande Pass. Each one gets on the boat the day of the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic thinking, “Will my team be the ones to catch the elusive silver king?” This Saturday, June 2, […]

Ladies to howl in the Pass June 9

■ STAFF REPORT The 10th Annual Ladies Howl at the Moon Tarpon Tournament will be held on Saturday, June 9 from 7 to 10 p.m. in Boca Grande Pass. The captain’s meeting wil be held on Friday, June 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at PJ’s Seagrille. Awards will be given out on the Pink […]

Big game fish: The sharks that swim in our waters, the people who love them and the people who fish them (Part two of a series in three parts)

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE This is the second in a three-part series about the sharks that swim in our waters, especially during tarpon season. This part will be from a shark angler’s perspective, and the third part will pertain to what types of sharks are in our waters and how dangerous they are to humans. […]

Lots of beach trash, several false crawls in this week’s turtle report

■ BY SUE ERWIN As of press time, The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 49 Caretta caretta (Loggerhead) turtle nests on the island. There were 59 reported false crawls. An extremely rare Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nest was documented on Little Gasparilla Island on Sunday May 27. Kemps Ridley sea turtles are endangered and […]

Mangrove fishing, then the Pass makes for a great day

■ BY CAPT. CHRIS ONEILL It’s tarpon time in the world’s best silver king fishing hole. Boca Grande Pass is ground zero for summertime anglers from around the globe. The sight of thousands of sunrise tarpon rolling on the water’s surface is a truly magical experience. Estimates suggest that fifty to a hundred thousand tarpon […]

The loss of a great author and island friend: RIP Richard Peck

■ STAFF REPORT Richard Peck made his first visit to Boca Grande in March of 2005 at the invitation of Pam and Larry Hannah. Richard agreed to lead a writer’s workshop to raise funds for the children’s area of the Johann Fust Community Library that had been damaged during Hurricane Charlie. He returned in 2016 […]

Profile Dorothy Rahal

■ BY SUE ERWIN Dorothy Rahal has just completed her first year teaching English language arts and social studies at The Island School, and she can describe the experience in a few words. “I absolutely love it here,” she said with a smile. “Everyone works together as a team.” Dorothy was born in Cleveland, Ohio. […]