The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 11 No. 3 - October 20, 2010

reel time

Sun provides creative, educational outlet

From the October 13, 2010 Issue
Reel time

FILE PHOTO
These volunteers wearing T-shirts supplied by The Sun, an
event sponsor, take a break during the Second Great
Sarasota Bay Scallop Search in 2008.

I was introduced to fishing in Anna Maria Sound and the edges of Tampa Bay by Captain Scott Moore in the early 1980s. I was invited along on trips with my friend Bobby Lee, and we were blessed to experience amazing days on the water with a man who would become a legend for his prowess with snook, tarpon, redfish and myriad other species. Those early days were the beginning of an awareness of the vulnerability of our fisheries resources and led to the formation of the Manatee Chapter of the Florida Conservation Association and a lifetime desire to protect fish and the waters they inhabited.

When I was approached by Mike Field about writing for The Sun years later, I realized that I had found the perfect place to explore and share my love of fishing, while also appealing to like-minded people to work to preserve this resource. Whether I'm writing about the upcoming season for king mackerel or the need to protect the sea grasses in Anna Maria Sound, The Sun has always allowed me to reach out to you, the readers. The Sun has also given me the space to share my passion for photography with you. I've found photographs to be a great way to preserve some of fishing's most special moments and through this column I've been able to share the techniques, equipment and software that help make it all possible.

It's been rewarding to learn fresh angles and find new fishing areas to explore. Through the newspaper I've been able to share my introduction to Florida destinations like Chassahowitzka, Pine Island Sound, the Indian River Lagoon and the Keys. You've also followed me to far flung destinations like Argentina, Belize and the Bahamas. It's been a pleasure to have an audience to share these times with, and without The Sun I wouldn't have been able to reach out to you.

At every turn, The Sun has not only been willing to let me share my ideas and thoughts about the joys of life on the water, but also has stepped up to cover the formation of a new group called Sarasota Bay Watch. The paper publicized our formation, shared our first tentative steps with the public and then sponsored the T-Shirts for Sarasota Bay Watches' first Great Sarasota Bay Scallop Search. This commitment hasn't wavered over the years. Still a major sponsor of Sarasota Bay Watch after three years, The Sun is sensitive to the needs and concerns of the fishermen of Cortez, the preservation of lands like the Robinson Preserve and an advocate for the preservation of a unique island way of life. In the Captain's Report, The Sun has championed the guides who lead area anglers to some of the best fishing to be found anywhere, and who have taught me so much. It's been a great experience watching the paper’s success and a real privilege to be a part of its phenomenal growth.

I look forward to the next 10 years and being able to share with you, the reader, this amazing resource that surrounds Anna Maria Island. I might write about redfish, snook or tarpon numerous times over the ensuing years, but you can be sure that I'm always striving to learn new ways to capture the essence of the experience and am eager to share what I learn with you.

Happy 10th anniversary to a special group of journalists, editors, photographers and staff members. It's an honor to be able to grow with you.


AMISUN ~ The Island's Award-Winning Newspaper