Bill Walsh

Folks choose a charter boat trip for a variety of reasons. For the hardcore local anglers, it’s a way to engage in your favorite activity with the assistance and advice of a professional captain that will surely lead you an

“Wow … you have that many restrictions on fish species here in Florida?” That’s the jaw dropping reaction from out-of-state charter customers when you break out the “36 inch law stick” ruler that with rules printed on the ba

The Moran’s made reservations for a charter trip the first week in July to coincide with the announced opening of the gaggrouper season. That doesn’t sound unusual, right? But how about if they made them last December and

The bottle nosed dolphins that ply these waters, and call them their domicile, have always been an important adjunct to the pleasure of the fishing experience. Who among us, with rod in hand, wasn't paused when the graceful dolphin surfaced ...

We are truly blessed here in Southwest Florida with the enormous numbers and species of sea birds. There is hardly a day on a backwater charter that rods are not swapped for the camera for a shot of heron in ...

Late last year they made a trip to an area just north of us and had an unusual charter experience. Upon arrival and introductions, the captain informed them that they would only be able to take a limited number of ...

Fishing trips sometimes go for endless hours; but how about the catching? How much of the trip did you really have hot action? I'll submit that those times usually are but a slim portion of the total trip time. Here ...

It’s a scene at a boat ramp anywhere. A guy is cleaning a nice catch and a interested bystander walks up and asks, “Nice fish ... where did you catch them?” The angler turns slowly, obviously annoyed at the intrusion, ...

For New Englanders it’s like not having Tom Brady for the last two months of the season. For the Heartlanders it’s like having Arron Rodgers on injured reserve for the two months when then chips are down.

To start, I just may be a member of just a few who see the new era of synthetic braided line as the “devil” when it comes to interfacing with the environment. Until a few years back most fishing lines ...

Many times, in the mid-morning warmth of the intoxicating sun, customers will relax from their fishing and make inquiry as to, “how is the fishing here now in comparison to when you started ... better or worse?”

On most charter trips, after introductions dockside, the question as to “What are you folks looking for today? Wanna do catch and release or maybe take some of your fish home for a meal.” Almost always, nowadays, the taking a ...

It strikes abject terror in the hearts of the unfamiliar. “Red Tide ... do we have to evacuate?” The reaction comes close to that when the media lays the news on the uninitiated ala the evening news. The event takes ...

Even after surrendering an enormous amount of tackle and effort, we never got close to landing him. The very disappointed couple named the fish “Walter” after the denizen of the deep that eluded Henry Fonda and Billy in the classic ...

It’s been a fishing run like no other. Redfish, if not the most sought after fish in these parts, is a close second. Only challenger would be the legendary snook. The redfish have always showed here in late September and ...