|
|
|
TOP STORY
Hoax or history? Bill Baab, who is probably the leading authority on the 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth all tackle record caught in Georgia in 1932, says he's not at all sure which. E-PUBLISHING
Latest news and commentary on state and federal fisheries regulations from the angler's point of view. ENFORCEMENT A group of state, federal and local law enforcement agencies will partner to focus enforcement of Iowa's boating while intoxicated law as part of the June 28-30 national Operation Dry Water campaign to draw public attention to the hazards of boating under the influence. Boating under the influence (BUI) continues to be the leading factor in boating accidents and deaths, with alcohol use involved in 17 percent of all recreational boating fatalities, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. EXPLORATION
From June 27 to 29, the five-person manned submersible Antipodes will take scientists on a series of dives to study the growing lionfish population. The goal of the two days of diving and panel discussions is to foster long-term collaboration among scientists to halt the unprecedented expansion of this invasive species. FISHERIES
Monster musky hybrids to four feet long are bending rods at this lake west of Albuquerque. Here's a quick roundup of that action and other N.M. lakes: INDUSTRY
In 2014, Abu Garcia will re-launch its iconic Swedish made round reels. Set to be unveiled at ICAST in Las Vegas, July 10, 2013, Abu Garcia will present the newly updated editions of its original Record, C4, C3, Pro Rocket and Morrum Swedish-made round reels.
The Portland company will now have operations out of Kennebunkport and Sebago Lake. The Graffius' three locations are part of a nationwide 24/7 non-emergency on water assistance service, TowBoatUS, that will provide tows back to a launch ramp or marina or dock, including battery jump-starting, fuel drop off and ungrounding services. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS Midwest Industries, Inc. is seeking a Regional Sales Representative for its ShoreStation® line of boat lifts and dock. NEW PRODUCTS
Adding to their expansive list of more than 300 outdoor manufacturers, Green Supply has introduced Solio, a cleaner, more sustainable way to provide energy and light. Solio products use renewable energy innovations that are widely and affordably available, allowing more users to "plug into the sun."
MotorGuide, a trusted fishing brand with more than 50 years of engineering and manufacturing trolling motors, introduces Pinpoint® GPS navigation available on its new Xi5 wireless trolling motor. Pinpoint GPS delivers on-target location accuracy that enables anglers to precisely position their boats and achieve optimum boat control.
ORCA Coolers recently released its heavy-duty cooler in 26-, 58- and 140-quart sizes. Previously, the cooler was only available in the 75-quart size.
Arctic Ice™ Alaskan Series and Arctic Ice™ Tundra Series are re-usable "super cooler packs" that allow any one to keep items cold or frozen all day, or longer, without the mess and waste of ice or dry ice. NOAA After considering public comment and recommendations from its advisory panels, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has decided not to move forward with an amendment that would have required the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) for vessels with a Federal Commercial Snapper Grouper Permit in the South Atlantic. If approved by the Secretary of Commerce, the Council's recommendations would adapt the system of "Accountability Measures" to the realities of uncertain catch estimates and management controls associated with recreational fisheries. PROMOTIONS
The Berkley Experience Trailer will be at Scheels in Sandy, Utah, on June 28th - 30th. The 60-foot Experience trailer provides fun and fishing education to all levels and skill sets of anglers. SHOWS The Wisconsin Ice Fishing Show is your opportunity to introduce products, services, lodging and tourism options to a market that offers one of the industry's greatest opportunities for growth. SPONSORSHIPS Yamaha Marine Group announced today it has extended its relationship with OCEARCH, an organization that strives to maintain the health of the world's oceans through research, specifically focused on sharks. As the exclusive outboard motor sponsor of OCEARCH, Yamaha will provide F300 and F150 power for the team's Contender® 28T and SAFE® Boat. STATES An aquatic habitat rehabilitation project was completed earlier this year on this 150-acre reservoir in Pawnee County. The Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network (FYCCN), coordinated by the FWC and the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, is a statewide network of sustainable places where youth and their families can participate in traditional outdoor activities and safely share experiences that inspire lifelong support for fish and wildlife conservation. The Department of Natural Resources will be upgrading its license sales system, both in the stores and online, effective Thursday, June 20. These upgrades will streamline the buying process; customers will be able to make their purchases in fewer clicks, and new safeguards will be in place to prevent mistakes. To assist in preventing a potential shortage of spring chinook needed in the broodstock requirement, it's necessary to close the sport fishery at this time says WDFW.
Where carp, bullheads and stunted crappie were once the catch of the day and anglers were scarce, a fisheries management project has transformed Yellowstone Lake into a fishing hotspot where anglers regularly land trophy size game fish, including a 57-inch musky. TOURNAMENTS The angler with the overall big fish in this three-day tournament on the Arkansas River takes home $50,000, and hourly prizes are $500 for first, $250 for second and $125 for third. Competitive bass fans have an exciting new option in tournament fishing. The Classic Bass Invitational will be held August 29-30 on Pokegama Lake out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Pro-angler John Gillman, of Freeland, Mich., and co-angler Joe Jordan, of Hampton, Ill., brought 51.70 pounds of walleye--over 10 pounds each--to the scales to win the Cabela's National Walleye Tour (NWT) event on Lake Erie at Port Clinton, Ohio. Overall, the NWT event paid out over $350,000 in total winnings to anglers. WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources unanimously advanced a bill that opens the door to reexamining the onerous beach access closures at Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area in North Carolina. WEBSITES Fishhound.com announced today that the site's popular field-testing program has spawned its 50,000th product review. These product reviews come in the form of written reviews or YouTube videos created by members that have tested fishing tackle and accessories supplied by Fishhound's Product Showcase manufacturer partners. iAngler: Solution to Data Mistrust? (Today's feature is a response to yesterday's, from NOAA on the difficulties of counting fish. It's from Brett Fitzgerald of the Snook & Gamefish Foundation, who reports on an app called "iAngler", which could solve a lot of problems for fishery managers, fishermen--and fish populations.)
This inability to share information up the ladder-from angler to fishery manager-has been a primary ingredient of the bitter pie many anglers have found themselves choking down for decades. "We need better data," we hear ad nausea from anglers who feel disenfranchised. A common follow-up statement runs along the lines of "...if the data is accurate, I'd gladly accept stronger restrictions to save [insert your favorite species]." The formatting of fishery data appeared to be a frustration with no solution. But a few years ago something happened. The extended cold temperatures of January 2010 resulted in one of the heaviest fish kills in Florida history. One of the species hardest hit was Centropomus undecimalis, the common snook. Thanks to the pervasive nature of social networking the many ghastly images of thousands of dead, floating fish became the impetus of positive action.
In a nutshell, the AAP was designed to transpose everyday fishing information into usable data that fishery managers could plug into their assessment models. Initially the program was used to figure out just how much of a hit Florida's snook populations took. Snook anglers lined up to help, and they were educated about how to keep track of details like how long they fished, where they were, what they caught, and other necessary but simple particulars. Florida snook anglers jumped at the opportunity and data began streaming in by the summer of 2010. As luck would have it, FWC was due to complete a stock assessment of snook in 2011, and they asked the SGF for access to the AAP data. Guess what? They liked what they saw. In fact, they loved it. The treasure trove of information was immediately beneficial. For the first time anywhere in the United States, data collected by recreational anglers was used in a state stock assessment. The next year a stock update was completed and the AAP information was again part of the data pool. Further, FWC encouraged SGF to expand the scope of the AAP beyond snook, first to a handful of inshore species and then to all fish that swim, from blue gills to blue marlin. After three years of growth and development, the AAP has gained the attention of NOAA. Now with a smartphone app called iAngler, the program is accessible to anglers throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and NOAA has accepted the AAP into a pilot study intended to ensure the data formatting matches their input needs. Oddly enough, getting NOAA to recognize the AAP is not the biggest hurdle. The program design will immediately start to plug holes in data collection as anglers log key information, especially the size and location of caught and released species like red snapper. This info-called "discard data" by fishery managers-does not compete with their current data collection programs. It simply supplements it-big time. Just like Florida, the federal government will undoubtedly find immediate value in the information, and will gain insights that will move us towards more accurate stock assessments. The big challenge now falls to us anglers. We've not been shy about expressing our dissatisfaction with current data models. Now we have the power to join together through the AAP and provide the solution. And all we have to do is go fishing. Go fishing and keep score, much like a golfer tallies strokes on the greens. You can learn more about the AAP by visiting the SGF website, www.snookfoundation.org. Start logging YOUR fishing trips, either at www.angleraction.org, or search iAngler in your smartphone store for the free app. Your AAP account is private and password protected. The FAQ page on the Angler Action site is a great place to start. If you have questions about the program, contact Brett Fitzgerald at brett@snookfoundation.org, or Linda Roberts, linda@snookfoundation.org. The Fishing Wire welcomes your comments and actively solicits letters and guest editorials from readers as well as fishery managers, scientists and industry experts in boating, fishing and related equipment. Please send your comments and suggestions to frank@thefishingwire.com. Outdoors Calendar
» Got an event you'd like to see posted here? Send it to frank@thefishingwire.com.
Apr. 13 - Mar. 31: Lake Champlain Basin Derby, 15 species, 50 weeks, $25,000! Champlain Basin, VT & NY; www.lciderby.com. May 28 - Nov. 30: New Jersey Boat & Beach Challenge; www.beachnboat.com. June 19 - June 23: Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, Sandestin, Florida; $5,375 base entry with optionals, $1M+ top prize, www.fishecbc.com. June 20 - June 23: Bassmaster Elite, Mississippi River, WI; www.bassmaster.com. June 22: Evinrude/Ranger TestRide, Open House Power Lodge, Brainerd, MN. June 27 - June 28: Greater Niagara BassEye Celebrity Challenge Buffalo, New York; www.redbone.org June 27 - June 30: FLW Tour, Lake Chickamauga, TN; www.FLWOutdoors.com. July 10 - July 12: July 10 - July 12: ICAST Convention, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV; www.asafishing.org. |
    |
|
|
|
