Under The rusty Windmill

Under The Rusty Windmill
This is a link to Keith Hickam's blog on his summer dog training in South Dakota. Keith is a professional trainer and handler of field trial dogs. Keith goes through each dogs progress with excellent reports on them.

New section

I have added another page to the blog "My musings". It will be personal short essays on different things I like or have had happen. I hope you will visit it and hope that it will be enjoyable.

You will find the link on the sidebar.

Please go to the link I have posted here

Living on the Emerald Coast of Florida is paradise for outdoor sportsmen and vacationers!

A friend of outdoors lovers, Albert A Rasch, has been keeping an eye out for all bloggers. He has routed out a plagiarist and we need to help him! Check out his blog articles on this thief.
A thief

One rough day

Living on the Emerald Coast of Florida is paradise for outdoor sportsmen and vacationers!


My friend had a old friend in town for the holiday and he wanted to take his son fishing. Matt included me and we were off at 6 AM this morning.

First we located the live bait sellers and got enough live cigar minnows for a great trip.

Heading out to Matt's bottom fishing grounds it was soon apparent that the trip would take more time than we had counted on. It was so rough we could only go trolling speed so I suggested we put out the lures. A huge fish took the right lure but Barry put the spool into free line by mistake. First mistake and missed fish of the day.

Next a fish hit my rod and I hooked it and had Avery; 12 years old; bring it in. A very nice false albacore or bonito came into the boat. Of course being the first fish taken it had to be kissed by the one landing it or the day would be jinxed as all fishermen know.


I hooked another fish and called Avery, but the fight quit and I reeled in the bait only to find a legal king mackerel on. The lure hit its blood line and it gave up. Latter we saw bottom structure on the depth finder and floated over it with bottom rigs with the cigar minnows. I hooked up again and called Avery to bring in the fish. Another king just a little bigger than the first.

We trolled, outran a storm, and drift fished for a couple hours more, then called it a day. I am sore in places I never knew I had. We were beat up rather we trolled or drifted. The trip back in was about as bad a ride I have ever experienced. It was not dangerous but the waves were going in a different direction of the rollers. First time I have ever experienced such. It was pure agony for all.

Grilled fresh King Mackerel

Simple but great. lightly oil the fillets. Then season with salt and pepper. Add more salt than you think is right. Grill using charcoal and hickory chips. Great Eats. This is a fast hot smoking of the fish.

Red Snapper season opens 1 June

Living on the Emerald Coast of Florida is paradise for outdoor sportsmen and vacationers!

Red Snapper season opens on Monday the first of June. The limit is only two fish per licence holder. While that is not enough to make it worthwhile you can also catch grouper, amberjack, vermilion snapper and several other bottom fish. King mackerel and an occasional sail fish can be fished for at the same time by using a flat line set up with bait fish. Frozen bait can be used or live.

Golfers have many options

Living on the Emerald Coast of Florida is paradise for outdoor sportsmen and vacationers!


Golfers have several courses to play on within easy driving distances. Want to play where the pros play? You can do that here. Play a different course over a two week time. Just a few are listed here.

Click on the links for specific information.

Bay Point has two courses, The Meadows and the Nicklaus Resort Course.
Hombre Golf Club has three nine hole courses. The second stage of the PGA Q school is played on the Bad and Ugly courses.
Callaway Bay Golf Course
Signal Hill Golf Course
Bay Dunes
Holiday Golf Club
Nature Walk Golf Course

Bird Hunting

Living on the Emerald Coast of Florida is paradise for outdoor sportsmen and vacationers!

Snipe taken this last December.

The North West of Florida was once a Quail hunters heaven. Due to a change in the agriculture signature of this area the quail are few and very hard to fine. Several commercial operations are available for quail, pheasant, and chucker hunting.

I have found woodcock and snipe hunting to be a very worthwhile endeavor for the bird hunter. Dogs are wonderful but not needed for this type of hunting. I do not know of any guides that target these birds. A little research and calls to the DNR should put you on the right trail.