World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead Friday, 24 May 2013 13:12 Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely released. Read the Full Story

World's Richest, Kids Classic, Art Festival and street party schedule of events Friday, 24 May 2013 13:06
Schedule of events for the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament, Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival, and street party ... Read the Full Story

Happy Graduation to Abigail, Dafne, Luke and Jake, TIS 2013! Friday, 24 May 2013 10:19 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Four tassels were turned on Thursday, May 23, as Luke Crosser, Dafne Garcia, Abigail Turner and Jake Van Atten graduated from fifth grade and from The Island School. Prior to their commencement ceremony the four, with the help of others, did a “dramatic statues” and chant performance. Afterward, the third, fourth and fifth graders all participated in a song called “Flip Flop,” written and produced by TIS music teacher Diana Donlon. Read the Full Story

FWC releases findings in Bull Bay accident Friday, 24 May 2013 10:17 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has completed its report on the two-boat accident in Bull Bay on April 12, and the FWC is holding both Jesse Smith and Capt. Steve Ahlers at fault. Smith, of Port Charlotte, was travelling southwest in a gray 18’ open motorboat. He turned to the south to enter a blind, narrow passage between two mangrove islands when he spotted Ahlers’ yellow boat heading in the opposite direction. Ahlers, of Boca Grande, was traveling northwest towards the same passage, with three passengers on board his 20-foot yellow boat. Read the Full Story

Art festival details for this weekend’s tarpon festival weekend Friday, 24 May 2013 10:14 The Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival has an exciting slate of 60 amazing artists in a wide variety of mediums. Organizer Carroll Swayze is excited and filled with anticipation for the event. “(We) have some amazing work this year,” she said. “The festival is near and dear to my heart because Boca Grande is home to me. The people on the island have supported me for my whole life and I am proud to be able to hand-pick a Fine Art Festival to present to the island. I have spent the past year trying to choose artists who fit the theme and the ideals of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament of conservation, education and sportsmanship. I have world-class marine wildlife artists coming as well as some of the finest Florida landscape painters the state has to offer. I hope that everyone will come out, enjoy the festival and meet the artists who work so hard to create their beautiful original artwork.” Read the Full Story

Grant says ‘good-bye’, Kaplans say hello to island Friday, 24 May 2013 10:12 BY LIZA STROUT - Serendipity brought Grant Quirk to Gill’s Grocery, and a decade later it led his successors, the Kaplans, to the store.
Ten years ago, Grant Quirk was discussing the end of his clamming business with a friend. The one-two punch of red tide and “rolling moss” had ruined his clam beds, and he was looking for something new to do. Read the Full Story

Boca Grande, Sweet Pea highlighted in June Vogue magazine shoot Friday, 24 May 2013 10:09 Boca Grande has been the location for an awful lot of photo shoots, so many we usually don’t report on them. But, a couple of months ago a very high-profile fashion magazine – Vogue, to be exact – turned up in town with an interesting model. Her name is Dree Hemingway, and she is the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Read the Full Story

FWC break-away jig study refuted by originating scientist Friday, 17 May 2013 10:06 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - In the summer of 2004 Dr. Justin Grubich picked up the phone to take a call from a woman who said she was with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The woman, Kathy Guindon, talked with Justin for about 30 minutes foul-hooking tarpon, and he was asked to provide expert witness testimony on how tarpon feed. He didn’t give the conversation much thought. Read the Full Story

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World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead
Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely...
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This weekend's schedule of events

17 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

LOOK FOR ALL BREAKING WRTT 2012 RESULTS HERE AT BOCABEACON.COM

2012 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament

• Day one of the 2012 World's Richest Tarpon Tournament begins on Thursday May 17 with fishing beginning in the Pass at 3 p.m. Fishing will end at 7 p.m. No events are scheduled for Thursday night.

• Day two of the 2012 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament begins on Friday, May 18 with captains and anglers taking to the Pass and beyond at 3 p.m. Fishing will end at 7 p.m.

• The WRTT awards ceremony will be held downtown at 8:30 p.m.

( 0 Votes )

Fish on! Silver King fever to hit Boca Grande next week

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY MARCY SHORTUSE - The “big three” of Boca Grande tarpon tournaments will be held next weekend, May 17 through May 20, and it promises to be a weekend you’ll never forget. This year marks the renewal of the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce’s World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, the second year of the biggest children’s tarpon tournament, and a date change for the Chamber’s Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament.

( 4 Votes )

Fust to close June 1 for renovations

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY LIZA STROUT - The packing has begun for the temporary closure of the Johann Fust Community Library. June 1 is the big day, and the staff and volunteers at the library are hard at work sorting and packing to be ready for the start of renovations.

The books are coming off the shelves, being inspected and one-by-one they are joining the growing piles of boxes in the library.

“The first day, I brought in 20 boxes, and we filled them,” said Michael Miller, administrator of the Johann Fust Library Foundation. “The second day I brought in 30. Today, I picked up 50 more boxes.”

( 2 Votes )

Fingers O’Bannon, Redbone tourneys held recently with local winners

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Boca Grande guides were running hot for the Raymond James Classic this year, which was hosted by the Gasparilla Inn & Club on May 3 and 4. Capt. Sandy Melvin and Capt. Mark Becton both took honors.
According to tournament officials, more than $97,000 was raised for cystic fibrosis research through the tournament this year.

The Grand Champion team included winning angler Ron Walker, his partner Michael Vaughn and their guide, Melvin. Walker caught the first slam, which includes a snook, redfish, tarpon and trout.
Angler Gary Head, on the boat with Becton, another local guide, also caught a slam and tallied the most points for the event.

( 1 Vote )

Tractor donated early to BIPS rangers

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

At its final board of directors meeting of the 2012 season, the Barrier Island Parks Society presented a special gift to the Florida Park Service … a John Deere industrial-strength tractor.

The tractor is to be used exclusively to support a number of park services at three of the state parks that BIPS supports – Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro Land Base and Stump Pass Beach.