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As TrophyCatch heads into the last months of Season 10 and the 10-Tag Celebration, eight more prized fish are still swimming in Florida lakes and the FWC is offering clues about where to find them. These new tagging maps of the remaining lakes could lead lucky anglers to the pink-tagged bass.

Through Florida bass telemetry and tagging studies, FWC biologists have found that where a largemouth bass is tagged and released can frequently coincide with where an angler catches the same bass weeks, months or even years later. Based on these patterns in bass behavior, TrophyCatch is releasing “tag zone” maps for the remaining eight waterbodies, showing the areas where the prized bass were tagged and could potentially be caught.

Dale Dew, who caught the first 10-Tag bass, was within yards of where the fish was released with its pink tag in Lake Griffin. Of course, these hints come with a caveat: while bass can be predictable, there are many exceptions to their typical home range patterns and some bass are not homebodies at all. In contrast to Dew’s catch, the second reported 10-Tag bass was caught by RJ Crawford in Newnans Lake over three miles away from where it was tagged. Thus, these new hints don’t eliminate water in which a 10-Tag bass might be found but should be treated as higher-probability areas. View each of the ranges on the maps located on the 10-Tag Celebration web page. Let’s see how many can be found!

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ALACHUA - Summer is here, and in Florida, starting July 1, the second annual Freedom Week kicks in. runs from Friday, July 1 through Thursday, July 7.  Consumers can purchase qualifying recreation and outdoor items and admissions to entertainment and cultural events exempt from tax during the 2022 Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday. Passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the sales tax holiday begins Friday, July 1 and extends through Thursday, July 7. 

Included are entertainment purchases as well as recreational items such as fishing, camping, sporting, boating, and pool supplies are included in the list of eligible items you can take advantage of purchasing during the seven-day tax-free holiday.

S include event and performance tickets for concerts, sporting events, and plays scheduled to be held between July 1 – Dec. 31 as well as admission to museums, state parks—and season tickets are also included.

This tax-free holiday does not include purchases made at theme parks, entertainment complexes, public lodging establishments, or airports.

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See below for detailed information provided by the Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/tips/Documents/TIP_22A01-04.pdf

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• Leave your pets at home when you go to parties, fireworks displays, parades, and other gatherings. Loud fireworks, unfamiliar places, and crowds can all be very frightening to pets, and there’s a great risk of pets becoming spooked and running away.
• Consider putting your pets in a safe, escape-proof room or crate during parties and fireworks.

• A voter registered as a Republican may only vote in Republican and nonpartisan contests.
• A voter registered as a Democrat may only vote in Democratic and nonpartisan contests.
• A voter registered as No Party Affiliation (NPA) may only vote in nonpartisan contests.

• Online: Florida residents can register to vote online. The online voter registration portal — found at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov — is a safe and secure option for voter registration. You will need a valid Florida State ID (Florida Driver's License number/Florida ID Card number) AND the last four digits of your social security number.
• In person: The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections office, which is located at 515 N. Main St. on the third floor, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Voter registration forms can also be completed and turned in at any Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles office or any Alachua County Public Library.
• By mail: Forms are available online at VoteAlachua.gov. Completed forms must be received by the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office before 5 p.m. on the July 25 deadline.