Author: BD STAFF

Guy Harvey Boat Show The hardest working man at the upcoming Miami International Boat Show just might be marine wildlife artist Guy Harvey. Returning for his 25th show as an exhibitor, Harvey initially sold his iconic marine artwork from a small booth at the Miami Boat Show as a young, struggling artist. Today, Guy Harvey, Inc. and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation will work from more than 2,300 square feet of exhibitor space—their largest space commitment ever—and will feature more than 7,000 items, including new Guy Harvey original artwork, new classic t-shirts designs, an expanded collection of ladies sportswear, Guy…

More than ten women in the outdoor media world have been invited to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin this weekend to slay the closest thing we have to dinosaurs in the 21st century: the sturgeon. With a spear that falls between a gig and a trident, the ladies will watch through a large hole cut with a chain saw until a sturgeon swims into view. “I’m thrilled to be invited to my first sturgeon-spearing event in Fond du Lac,” shared Kristine (K.J.) Houtman, outdoor writer and author of several children’s books around fishing, camping and hunting and one of the media…

Barracuda Tournament Some see them as trash fish, while others see them as trophy catches. One thing is for certain, though: barracuda can fight. Lance Gleason of Missoula, Mont., released 15 barracuda measuring a total of 246.5 inches to win the spin division of the two-day 2013 Cuda Bowl Tournament that ended Saturday, Feb. 2, in Key West. Gleason earned the title of divisional grand champion fishing with Captain Justin Rea of Key West, while Rea was named the division’s grand champion guide. Gleason also scored the most releases in the tournament. Nathaniel Clark Linville of Key West won the…

A fishing trip for Richard Scibek of Granbury, TX, and his friend James Quisenberry, resulted in an epic catch that neither of them will soon forget. The two were fishing at Lake Fork on Saturday when Scibek, using a black salty—a type of goldfish—hooked a massive largemouth bass. After landing the fish, the pair discovered that the fish, weighing 16.04 pounds, was the exact same size as the twenty-second largest bass ever caught in Texas. That fish, like many other lunker bass caught through the years, also came from Lake Fork. Scibek’s fish, though, is the largest to come from…

Country music artist Craig Morgan will be chasing wahoo later this month with other competitors at the Wahoo Smackdown II hosted by the legendary Bimini Big Game Club and Resort. Morgan will be filming a segment for his award winning TV Show, “Craig Morgan: All Access Outdoors” during the February 21-23 tournament aboard Miss Kathleen, captained by Chase Camacho, rated one of the top sport fishing charters in the Caribbean. “This is huge news for our resort and for the island of Bimini,” said Michael Weber, general manger for the 51-room Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina. “This tournament…

You’ve likely never heard of a Southeastern tessellated darter, a Lake Eustis pupfish­, or a Sanibel Island rice rat, but these and twenty other Florida animal species are about to get some government protection—and the state of Florida wants your input. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently posted draft action plans to conserve 23 species of native wildlife and wants the public to weigh in by reviewing them online. Those reading the plans for animals familiar and not so familiar—such as the osprey, Everglades mink, Pine Barrens treefrog and reddish egret—will learn about the species’ biological backgrounds…

Boating Fuel Tax Refund Fuel is one of the largest cost factors when fishing out of a boat. When fuel prices go up, fewer fishermen hit the water, and the economic repercussions can be seen throughout the entire fishing industry. Now, some relief is in sight. Recreational boaters who purchase fuel for use in their boats may be eligible for a full or partial refund of the taxes paid on the fuel. These fuel taxes are most often used to repair highway damage caused by the wear and tear of automobiles. Because boats do not cause this damage, many states…

In a move aimed at inspiring fishermen to go beyond merely following the regulations, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has created a list of angling ethics which it plans to share with the public. According to the FFWC, angling ethics is about common sense and courtesy, and it contributes to every angler’s safety, success and enjoyment, as well as the future of the sport. In recent years, fishermen have had to adapt to a growing number of regulations placed on the sport by various government agencies, leaving many of them frustrated with having to abide by so many restrictions.…

Manatees Pick Super Bowl Ravens In the past, manatees served as food for Native Americans (sea cow, anyone?) and were mistaken by 15th-century sailors as beautiful mermaids (what’s that say about the real women in those times?). Now, a new title has been added: psychic. Dolphins, whales and other marine mammals step aside; the lowly, lumbering manatee is finding its place in the limelight after Super Bowl XLVII. On February 1, 2013, Hugh and Buffett, two resident manatees at The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory, each correctly chose the Ravens over the 49ers to win the big game. Amazingly, this…

The 2012, inaugural Race To PEI contest was such a huge success that we’re doing it again! This contest could really not be any simpler, all you have to do is register and you will be automatically entered to win the bluefin tuna trip of a lifetime to Canada’s Prince Edward Island, home to some of the largest bluefin in the world. You don’t need to be a member of BD, you just need to be at least 21 years old, and in good health because these giant tuna will test your limits! The contest includes three days of fishing…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has plans to stock rainbow trout at a popular San Diego area lake. To raise awareness about the project, some of the trout will be worth $10 to lucky anglers. The CDFW will begin stocking Lake Miramar because the lake is in an urban setting and represents the potential to be a very popular urban fishery. The lake, which in the past was stocked by the city of San Diego, has historically been very popular with anglers. “I remember as a kid, growing up in Temecula, hearing stories about the trout fishing at…

BD Outdoors Fishing News Welcomes 100,000th Member Nearing its tenth year in operation, BDOutdoors.com, the largest fishing community on the Internet, has reached a major milestone in its meteoric rise to the top: its 100,000th member. The landmark moment came on January 31, 2013, at 7:53 PM PST, when a new member from Torrance, CA, registered and chose to identify himself on the forum as “sharkythesailor.” “We’ve been anticipating this day for a long time,” said Jason Hayashi, one of the original founders of BD Outdoors. “When we first began, I never could have envisioned reaching such a huge number of…

Casa Vieja Lodge’s Capt. Chris Sheeder recently reached one of the most significant milestones to date in his career aboard the Rum Line, releasing his 20,000th sailfish! He is one of only three captain’s to ever reach this record in the history of the sport. 20,000 Sailfish Releases Casa Vieja Lodge congratulates Chris and his crew for their professionalism, courtesy and commitment to excellence in the sportfishing arena. “We know there will be many more [sailfish releases] to come,” said Jim Turner, Casa Vieja’s proprietor. Chris grew up fishing out of Honolulu, Hawaii, and has fished and guided some of…

Several species of grouper, including black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind will close to recreational harvest from Feb. 1 through March 31 in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters, excluding state waters of Monroe County. Gulf Grouper Season Gag grouper has a separate season from other Gulf of Mexico grouper and is currently closed to harvest. A proposed 2013 gag grouper season in state waters will be discussed at the February Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting in Orlando. The upcoming two-month recreational harvest closure that starts Feb. 1 was put in…

Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series The Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series recently announced that Maui Jim will once again be sponsoring the tournaments and are offering free World Cup style sunglasses. The first five entries of $2,500 or more received by March 1 will each receive a free pair of Maui Jim World Cup sunglasses valued at $219. If you aren’t one of the first five entries, you will have another chance to win some Maui Jim’s as each entry received between February 1 and May 1 will go into a drawing for five more pairs of World Cup glasses.…

Florida St Lucie Artificial Reef St. Lucie County, Florida, now has two new artificial reefs after deploying more than 2,000 tons of concrete light poles that were donated by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Deployed by McCulley Marine Services and SeaRover Services in late December, the two new artificial reefs have maximum profiles of 27 and 25 feet and are located several miles offshore in depths of 62 feet and 102 feet. The reefs consist primarily of 130 concrete power poles that were replaced by FPL just south of Easy Street in Port St. Lucie. Funding for these new…

Mcdonalds Fish Sustainable McDonald’s recently announced today it would become the first national restaurant chain to adopt the Marine Stewardship Council’s blue ecolabel on its fish packaging in restaurants nationwide as part of a 10-year commitment to sustainable fishing practices. As one of the largest single buyers of fish in the United States, McDonald’s scale will help assure that growing seafood demands are balanced with MSC’s responsible sourcing practices to maintain the health and sustainability of fish stocks for the future. Sustainable fish sourcing is part of McDonald’s broader commitment to sustainable sourcing and 100 percent of all fish sold…

Hells Bay Jose Wejebe – Hells Bay Guide Rendezvous Over 40 Hell’s Bay professional guides and owners gathered in Titusville, Florida, on January 21st for the company’s annual Guide Rendezvous. – Photos by Hell’s Bay Boatworks and Jose Wejebe Foundation Jose Wejebe Professional Guide Award The Jose Wejebe Professional Guide award was established in 2012 in honor of the late television host and fishing icon. Each year a Hell’s Bay Professional Guide who has shown superior professionalism with a focus on conservation, education and promoting ethical fishing practices on the flats will win the award. Jose Wejebe Memorial Foundation Professional…

The first leg of the 2013 Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series, held from January 16‐19 at Los Sueños Resort and Marina, Costa Rica, welcomed 38 participating teams and 147 individual anglers who managed to set a new tournament record. The tournament radio never went silent with boats reporting an incredible average of one billfish per minute. Over the course of the three fishing days the fleet released 1,406 sailfish and six marlin, breaking the standing record, set during the first leg of the 2006 Series, of 1,282 billfish releases by 46 boats. The fleet released eight sailfish by 8:10 a.m.…

Free Fishing Rod Class Phenix Learn all there is to know about fishing rods at the Free Class on Saltwater Fishing Rods, brought to you by Phenix Rods and Marina Del Rey Anglers. The class will take place on Thursday, January 31st, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Marina Del Rey Anglers and Phenix Rods are offering the free class to help anglers improve their fishing skills and learn more about the various rods used for offshore fishing. The class will provide instruction on all aspects of fishing rods, including choosing, caring for, building and using saltwater fishing rods. The…

It’s not everyday you get to meet a Playboy Playmate. So when we heard that Shawn Dillon, Miss February 2013, was going to be the official hostess for the Wahoo Smackdown at the Bimini Big Game Club, we just had to find out more about this gorgeous lady who says she loves anything that has to do with the ocean. “I’m a mermaid who loves being by the water more than anything,” says the hottie from Sarasota, Florida. “It’s where I feel happiest and most at peace. It’s like heaven to me.” We were lucky enough to get Shawn to…

Nearly 45-years-ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. checked into the Big Game Club, a historic fishing resort on Bimini Bay in the Bahamas. Here Dr. King spent time working on a speech he would deliver a few days later at the Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3, 1968. He was assassinated the next day. Dr. King first visited the resort in 1964 when he traveled to Bimini to work on his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. Four years he was back in Bimini where he worked on completing his “I‘ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. The simple cottage where…

What a difference a year makes. Unseasonably warm weather and blustery winds tested the 44-boat fleet fishing in the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s 76th annual Silver Sailfish Derby held January 10-12. The tournament fleet, headquartered out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, released a total of 185 sailfish during three days of fishing — a stark contrast to the world-record setting 1,174 sailfish releases posted by 46 boats in the 2012 Derby. “We can’t set records every year,” commented WPBFC Chairman and Derby radioman Pete Schulz. “The sailfish are still north of us. There is a body of fish…

The Washington Fish & Wildlife Commission voted 9-to-0 in favor of passing a new policy that will eliminate the use of gill nets in the lower main stem of the Columbia River. The groundbreaking action taken on January 12 by the Washington Commission is very similar to that taken by the Oregon Commission on December 7 and marks the beginning of a new era of fisheries management in the Pacific Northwest. “This has been the goal since Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) chapters were formed in Oregon and Washington in 2006,” said Gary Loomis, Chairman Emeritus of CCA Washington. “Our members…