Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15.
The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crabs in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the closure happens each year during the species’ peak spawning season to, "help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource." Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15. Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 16 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer, a news release said. Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season unless a special extension is granted by the FWC…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The official alligator hunting season runs from Aug. 15 - Nov. 1.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is going to issue 5,000 hunting permits for hunters to participate in the 11-week alligator season. Alligator season runs Aug. 15 – Nov. 1. According to the FWC, alligator trapping licenses and two hide-validation tags costs $272 for Florida residents and $1,022 for nonresidents, a news release said. Each permit enables you to take two alligators from whichever county or body of water you were awarded during a specific harvest period. To purchase a permit, you must be at least 18 years old. According to the FWC, the application process is conducted in three phases and begins by submitting a no-cost application at any tax collector’s office, license agent or online at http://…
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The run will bring Tampa Bay's running community together in a show of solidarity and also raise money for bombing victims at the Boston Marathon.
Plans are afoot for a special, non-competitive run to show support for the runners in the recent Boston Marathon, where bombs killed three and injured scores of people. The Tampa Bay for Boston Memorial Run is a 2.62 mile run scheduled for May 8th, along St. Petersburg's stunning downtown waterfront. The race will start at Spa Beach Park at The Pier. But it is more than just a run. People are encouraged to turn out and show their support, even if they don't register for for the run. The non-competitive run starts at 8:30 p.m. But first there will be a candlelight vigil (with LED lights), speakers and singing at 7:30 p.m. It should be an emotional event. Organizers are trying to keep costs down, and are asking folks to spread the message by…
Monday, April 29, 2013
This Twitter pic has been retweeted hundreds of times. Lucky for this reporter, the baseball whizzed by her head.
This oddball photo tweeted by Kelly Nash, a Tampa Bay Rays reporter for Sun Sports, was ricocheting around social media Monday. Nash was reporting from Boston's Fenway Park, when she took this "selfie" up in the bleachers. She had no idea a baseball was whizzing behind her head, a near miss. Only later did she look at the phone and notice that she nearly got beaned by a baseball during weekend batting practice, according to AwfulAnnouncing.com. The odds for Nash to take a photo just as a baseball goes sailing by are quite high – and the talk on sports radio and social media. "I laughed pretty hard when I saw such a surreal picture that I had no idea I took," Nash told FoxSports Florida. "I thought, you have got to be kidding me, maybe …
Saturday, April 27, 2013
The proposal will voted on a final time by the FWC at its June meeting.
A proposal by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission could make tarpon and bonefine catch-and-release only. According to the FWC, the proposal includes the following potential changes for management in state and federal waters off Florida: The proposal will voted on a final time by the FWC at its June meeting, a news release said. Sign up for the Pinellas Beaches Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!
Monday, April 8, 2013
The run starts in St. Petersburg, and includes police agencies from through Pinellas County. Here's the route.
Pinellas police agencies, from St. Pete to the beaches and beyond, will carry the Special Olympics torcn Tuesday in a long-distance run. "The Special Olympics Torch" run will raise awareness about the needs and programs for the intellectually disabled in Pinellas County. The run starts in St. Petersburg and ends in Clearwater. Police agencies from throughout Pinellas County take part, including Largo, Tarpon Springs, St. Pete Beach and Belleair. The torch is passed from one law enforcement agecy to the next, with Special Olympics athletes greeting the runners along the way. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a statewide event that precedes the Summer Olympic Games May 17-18, 2013 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando. The …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The season is from April 1 to Jan. 31, 2014.
Starting April 1, red, black, yellowfin, yellowmouth, rock hind, red hind and scamp Gulf of Mexico grouper species will again be open to harvest in state waters. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, this harvest season will remain open through Jan. 31, 2014. State waters in the Gulf are from shore to nine miles out. Fishing for gag grouper, however, is different from other grouper species, according to a FWC news release. Gulf of Mexico gag grouper will also open to harvest April 1 in state waters off the following counties only: Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor, including all waters of the Steinhatchee River, Apalachicola Bay and Indian Pass. This season will remain open through June 30, with the …
Friday, March 22, 2013
The organization said the bill would be 'dangerous' and 'damaging' to high school athletics.
House Bill 1279 aims to place restrictions on investigations by the Florida High School Athletic Association on Florida high school athletes by giving the student athletes a level playing field against investigations, according to a report by the Florida News Service. "The FHSAA must adopt bylaws regarding the eligibility status of students who are enrolled and assigned to that public school or who transfer from another public school or private school," state documents read. "The bylaws must ensure the student remains eligible as long as the student has complied with enrollment and transfer deadlines, and rule, eligibility, and recruiting violations by a teammate, coach, administrator, school, or adult representative may not be used …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Because sharks are a protected species, the fishermen released the great white.
On March 15, a 18-foot, 2,500- to 3000-pound great white shark was caught 30 miles out of Johns Pass, according to a video published on YouTube (Caution: Profanity in Video). The catch was confirmed by Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, according to Bay News 9. Mote Marine lab shark experts said based on the video this does appear to be a great white shark. They said this time of year, spotting a great white is normal. Angler Fab Marchese was fishing with Captain Joe Maisano with Go Fast Fishing Charters when contact was made with the great white. “That thing was I don’t know 18 feet long. It was huge! You could tell how long when it was along side of the boat,” Marchese said in an interview with Bay News 9. To read the rest of Bay News…
Saturday, February 16, 2013
We want to know what you think, Tampa Bay!
With Super Bowl championships occupying the top three slots in most-watched telecasts in U.S. history, it seems football is as popular as ever. Yet the sport is at the epicenter of a national debate on the long-term effects of concussions and whether tackling is safe for youngsters. President Barack Obama recently threw his two cents in, saying if he had a son he would think twice before letting him get on the gridiron. And Boston University researchers last year released a comprehensive study showing there is a link between permanent brain injury and repeated blows to the head, according to the Boston Globe. Of concern to some is the prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in some older athletes. Often referred to as simply CTE, …
Chuck R
6:50 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Your child can start playing tackle football at age 5, but most play flag first. When these very young kids run into each other, it's not much of an impact to be honest. I'm not saying they never give each other a good hit because it happens occasionally. I never thought of it as dangerous, though. One important note; if the helmet is making the hit, the kid is doing it wrong, and the coach will … more ›