Wayton Mills is a fourth-generation fishing guide and charter boat captain who has been leading fishing trips in the Boca Grande for 26 years. Initially focused on charter fishing, including both offshore and inshore fishing, Mills also engaged in stone crabbing until logistical challenges and distant buyers led him to discontinue it in 2017. 

Scope and Content Note

Waylon Mills shares a comprehensive overview of the impact of red tide on the local fishing industry and the measures he took to adapt to these changing conditions. Mills recollects several Red Tide events in the region, but none surpassed the intensity and duration of the 2017/18 Red Tide event. Mills gives an abstract account of the general occurrence of Red Tides in the area. Mills says he transitioned from inshore to offshore fishing based on client preferences and the decline in fish populations in the backcountry, caused by factors like the 2010 freeze and changes in regulations and limits. Mills adapted to red tide by avoiding areas with live bait during red tide and switched to offshore fishing using dead bait or cut bait outside the red tide boundary line. He explains that this required traveling longer distances, increasing fuel costs, and sometimes discouraging clients from longer trips. He conveys that recovery time after red tide varies depending on severity and species affected. The health impacts of red tide, such as the smell and throat irritation, are considered, but Mills continues fishing despite these effects. Mills hopes to avoid another prolonged red tide event to protect the tarpon industry and fishermen's livelihoods. The conversation also mentions the limited permits for offshore fishing and strategies employed by inshore fishermen to adapt during red tide.