AVON PARK — This Wednesday evening provides Floridians with the last total eclipse of the Moon that will be visible from our part of the world until Dec. 20-21, 2010. If the weather cooperates, Wednesday's eclipse should be a spectacular event. An "Eclipse Star Party" will be held from 8:30-11 p.m. at the Avon Park Middle School for all students, their families and faculty. Six telescopes will be set up and binoculars will also be available. A total lunar eclipse occurs because the sun, the Earth and the Moon are aligned in a straight line, with the Earth taking the in-between position. As sunlight passes the Earth, the shadow of the Earth is cast on the Moon. The shadow will slowly move across the disc of the Moon, almost but not quite hiding the Moon's surface features. Through the telescopes, because of the magnification, one can see the shadow slowly moving across the surface feature, such as a crater or mountain. This actually is the Moon moving in space, in its orbit around the Earth. ...more

February 19, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mel Berman. ...more

January 26, 2008

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Mike Anderson, right, with "Reel Animals" partner Billy Nobles. ...more

January 25, 2008

The full moon arrives on Tuesday at 1:35 p.m. and will influence the fish greatly during the daytime. The normal daytime feeding migrations will increase in intensity and duration and the nighttime feeding migrations will decrease by the same amount. A cold front arrived Saturday and continues to pass through our area today. This will hold back the affects of the full moon. However, whenever a weather condition causes fish to hold in a suspended pattern instead of migrating, it's because of their natural impulse. As the weather passes and returns to normal conditions, during the first migration afterward the majority of the fish move into a very large feeding migration period. ...more

January 20, 2008

It's the day after the 11:37 a.m. New Moon, and because of the late morning lunar timing, the intensity and duration of the nighttime feeding migration diminishes significantly with many fish participating in the daytime feeding migration. This is good news for the daytime angler who has been dealing with the majority of lunar events happening at night during the fall and early-winter seasons. Another benefit to the lunar timing is the fact that virtually all day, the fish will be feeding on and off instead of migrating in one major and minor feeding pattern. ...more

January 9, 2008

The last quarter moon occurs tomorrow at 7:51 a.m. and this means that dominate late night feeding migration comes to an end — or at least reduces half in duration and intensity — and the beginning of a midday bite feeding migration. The best time to be on the water for the next three days is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, if you have been "on fish" already during the early morning, there is a chance that you might hook into a larger bass between 6-7 a.m., but the chances lessen each day for this to happen. ...more

December 30, 2007

The more opportune times to have success on the water are very early and very late in the day. There is still an early morning bite because of the affect of the Full Moon which happened at 1:16 a.m. last Sunday night, causing the major feeding migration to occur in the middle of the night. Now, this is a very large intense migration at this time, meaning there are very good chances that if you're out on the water very early — 6 a.m. — you're best chances of boating your largest fish of the day are good, but still not great. Each day a secondary migration starts to develop and by the weekend, will offer as good a percentage as the early morning session. From 4 to 7 p.m. should produce moderate to good results today and gain in potential every day until Monday, when it becomes mostly a nighttime session. ...more

December 28, 2007

GO FISHING is a daily look at the area fishing scene through the eyes of local charter boat captains and fishing guides. Today: Ray Markham. ...more

December 26, 2007

The prospects for fishing over the next four days are below average to say the least. With the full moon occurring tonight at 1:16 a.m., the best bite period of the day is between safelight and 10 a.m. The chances of hooking into a monster Florida largemouth bass, however, are slim because they feed all night long in the light of the moon. For those of you who are nighttime fishermen, well, you have the best time of the month for catching your largest stringers. ...more

December 23, 2007

The deep spots are two feet, top to bottom. In captain Chet Jennings' world of winter fishing, "shallow" takes on a whole new meaning. ...more

December 21, 2007