I’ve wrestled alligators for twenty-three years. Been bitten twice, dragged into the water once, and had one particularly unpleasant fellow take a chunk out of my favorite boots. But in all those …

If you live in the Everglades, you have either seen him or heard of him. Hair sometimes in a ponytail, barefoot or wearing flip-flops. If you look in the back of his SUV, you just might find some …

Wine her, dine her, call her, hug her, support her, hold her, surprise her, and compliment her, smile at her, listen to her, laugh with her, cry with her, romance her, believe in her, cuddle with …

My grandfather Charles L. Shaw served in the U.S. Navy at the turn of the last century. He circumnavigated the globe on the USS Tennessee in 1907 in Teddy Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet. We have the …

If you live in the Everglades, you have either seen him or heard of him. Hair sometimes in a ponytail, barefoot or wearing flip-flops. If you look in the back of his SUV, you just might find some …

After being disappointed in the outcome for April, I am looking forward to some stable weather! We did catch some nice fish in April and had some good days, but the overall month was less than …

If you’ve lived in the Everglades for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard of him. Or if you're fortunate, you have met him. If you have, you might have noticed that most of his pinky finger …

Where Has The Time Gone?   Maybe it has something to do with getting older, but time sure does seem to go by quicker. I remember when I was young, summer never lasted long enough and …

Here it is in the second half of February and I am thinking about March. The fishing is picking up and should continue to get even better in March. We just saw a few days of really warm weather and …

After five years, beginning with a dream for a larger church building that would be elevated enough above flood level, our new church finally opened to our congregation and the public on February …

We have been busy this season with our Chuck Wagon at the Everglades Seafood Festival, serving burgers, dogs, mullet dip, and fillets. We also had a successful BBQ Chicken Dinner fundraiser in McLeod …

With February fast approaching and the weather changes that are expected, we will see a change in the fishing. Of course, this all depends on the weather cycle and one thing I have learned in the …

It started in the fall of 2019, a short seven months after becoming the pastor of Chokoloskee Church of God.   Wanting to send a message to the communities of the Ten ThousandIslands, it was …

A New Year of Fishing    It's January already? Time sure flies by here in the Everglades. I hope everyone had a great Christmas with family and hope you all have a prosperous 2026! All I …

Looking Back to See Ahead    My wife and I came to Chokoloskee from Brooksville, Florida, in 2019. We came in April of that year and joined our names to over twenty other Pastors before …

December in the 10,000 Islands    The second week of November saw our first real cold front, where temps dropped into the high 40s. We caught several nice Snook, up to 33", even …

My Favorite Time of Year    By the time this article comes out, Thanksgiving will have passed and most everyone will be preparing for Christmas! Once we get through October, the Holidays …

November in the 10,000 Islands    The Redfish certainly showed up in October. We have been steadily catching good Reds. This should continue into November, and the bite should stay strong …

A Real Neighborhood Hero   Growing up in the 70s and 80s, there was an old cartoon that aired on Saturday mornings. Saturdays were every kid's favorite day; it was the day all three …

All is Well    When my wife and I got married, we were cautioned about having children. Due to my wife’s failing kidneys, the doctors were cautious about her getting pregnant …