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Hurricane Idalia dealt a blow (get it?) to Southwest Florida fishing efforts this week. But the outlook for a new fall season, beginning Friday, is remarkably bright.

Fishing's pretty good around Southwest Florida in waters salt and fresh. And as this week's ON VACAY segment attests, it's been great for local folk branching out from the Florida Keys to Venice, Louisiana.

With lots of Southwest Florida anglers down in the Florida Keys for the opening of regular lobster season, and lots more just not willing to deal with record-setting heat, there's plenty of room out on the water.

If record-breaking water temperatures in the 90s are supposed to be bad for fishing, someone forgot to tell the fish.

Unseasonable snarky weather didn't deter lots of recreational anglers from long offshore runs for the opening of "American" red snapper season.