It is hot down here in Florida now but we still have fishing opportunities. Our best bet is to get out early and have fun before it really gets hot. Evening can be productive also if it’s not stormy. Some Tarpon are still in both Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Snook may be opening up the first of September, but we don’t know for sure yet—Fish and Wildlife is still thinking about it. Redfish are improving now. Speckled Trout are abundant and hungry still. Mango Snapper are teasing us and should come on strong anytime. Spanish Mackerel are not thick but can make the difference if you are prepared. If it’s too hot get in the water, travel north for scallops or south for crawfish down in the Keys.

The season's first major fishing tournament in Florida’s Emerald Coast region is just around the corner!  Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the location of the annual Sandestin Fishing Tournament scheduled for August 25^th through the 29^th this year. The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, and Baytowne Village, and Marina will feature live entertainment, vendors, and artists throughout the entire fishing tournament weekend. This area is a must-see region, voted one of the top 2010 destinations in the world by Frommer’s.

The town of Destin has adopted the slogan "The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village" and the area is considered one of the richest fishing areas in the region. Roughly 3.5 million visitors come to Destin each year, a good number of them hoping for the best catch on the Gulf coast.

In January of this year I did a boat delivery from Tarpon Springs to Port Canaveral. If you remember, and if you were here I know you do, it was cold. It was real cold. It was the coldest it had been in decades and it hung on like a scared cat in a tree. Some days, the highs were only in the forties in some areas and the nights…well, let’s just say I didn’t go out at night with my thin blood from years of living in Florida. I don’t like the chill I get from getting something out of the fridge.

Along the way I sadly observed dead fish literally by the hundreds, maybe thousands, in some places. Even shallow Lake Okeechobee was dotted with dead fish as if an underwater explosion of massive proportion had taken place. Throughout the waterway the scene remained the same for the whole trip.

So easy, so hearty & so good, here is how you make it; Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened. Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

To make Shrimp Margarita; Cook a small package of Vigo yellow rice. Combine shrimp, lime juice and salt and pepper in a small bowl and let marinate. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. Add shrimp and marinade and cook over high heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle shallots over shrimp and stir 10 seconds. Add tequila, cream, red peppers, and salt and pepper. Mix briefly and add avocado slices. Cook 1 minute. Put rice on individual serving plates, top with shrimp and avocado. Boil sauce for 30 seconds and spoon over shrimp and avocado. Serve with hot buttered Cuban bread and sangria.
 

 In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta, stirring constantly in the beginning to prevent it from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. When almost smoking, add shallots and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the clams and wine. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until most clams have opened. Add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. Whisk in butter to thicken sauce slightly.

Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse pasta with water - this will remove the pasta's natural starches. Place pasta into the clam saute pan and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning.

Pour pasta into large serving bowl. Zest lemon over the dish, being carefull not to zest the white part of the lemon, which is bitter. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately.