Author: BD STAFF

Guy Harvey Sportswear Famed marine life artist Guy Harvey has teamed up with AFTCO Bluewater to create and proudly offer a unique line of coastal lifestyle fishing apparel. The line of quality products features Guy’s immensely popular and always expanding T-Shirt line — featuring his amazingly detailed and colorful marine life images. Also continuing to expand is a wide range of sportswear for men, women and children, including multiple shirt styles, shorts and swimwear, jackets, fleece sweatshirts, hats and visors, belts, footwear, and even stunning sport towels- all featuring the trademark Guy Harvey by AFTCO Bluewater logo on labels and…

After the surprise vote on a procedural motion on Monday, November 26 that seemingly ended chances of passage of the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012, key Senate members are vowing to work out a solution, according to the American Sportfishing Association. Anglers can do their party and keep the pressure on their Senator. To help support this important legislation, go to www.keepamericafishing.org/sportsmensact and use the attached template letter to FAX another message to your Senators. The Sportsman’s Act of 2012 contains 17 distinct measures that are important to anglers and hunters and four that are especially helpful to the sportfishing industry.…

On Saturday, December 1st, from 11 AM to 3 PM, Mikelson Yachts will host a special Open House event at the Kona Kai Hotel and Marina in San Diego. Mikelson Yachts Open House The event will offer Mikelson enthusiasts and potential boat buyers a great opportunity to check out new and used Mikelson Yachts from 43 to 64 feet that are currently up for sale. According to Mikelson, the company will be offering tremendous discounts on the vessels for sale. As another bonus, every boat sold will be given a free marina slip for an entire year! This is the…

Accurate Boss Fury Accurate Fishing Products, originator of the patented TwinDrag reels, is launching a new single-drag reel featuring the same quality Accurate is known for, but a smaller price point. The Accurate Boss Fury will be available in a single-speed configuration offering either a 4.1:1 or 6.1:1 gear ratio to meet the needs of anglers hunting down their local big game. The Boss Fury will also be offered in two-speed models featuring a 3.1:1 low and a 6.1:1 high speed in the 400 and 500 models, and a 2.2:1 low and 5.1:1 high in the 600 model. These larger…

Bluefin Tuna Fishing In the world of big-game fishing, few thrills hold a candle to the experience of battling a 1,000-pound bluefin tuna. The elusive giant tuna is by far one of the most powerful game fish in the ocean, and when you go out with the crew from Tony’s Tuna Fishing, you don’t just set out a bait to catch them… you can actually hand feed these incredible fish and watch them take the bait. Tony’s Tuna Fishing operates two boats, the Li’l Miss Maddy and Princess Nova out of North Lake, Prince Edward Island — appropriately dubbed the…

Okuma Makaira Fishing Rods Makaira rods deliver the perfect compliment to Okuma’s line of Makaira and Cedros lever-drag reels. The Makaira rods feature the latest carbon-composite technology and deliver lightweight, easy-handling offshore action yet retain the power and durability of traditional E-glass rod blanks. The rods use the finest components available including ALPS deep press 316 stainless steel guide frames, hard Zirconium guide inserts, custom-designed ALPS reel seats, ALPS roller guides with large knot clearance, and much more. The Makaira is available in a range of rod styles such as live-bait, deckhand-style rods, popping rods and IGFA straight-butt and bent-butt…

AFTCO Yellowfin Shorts Spend a good amount of time fishing in the tropics and you’ll quickly learn that it takes a nice, lightweight pair of shorts to stay comfortable in the hot sun. The new Yellowfin Boardshorts from AFTCO feature some high-tech materials to keep you cool and comfortable all day long. The shorts are constructed using a bamboo, charcoal laminate in the fabric. Who knew, but when you combine these natural materials, you end up with a soft, lightweight fabric that won’t chafe you up as you battle a big fish, or work all day on deck. According to…

Duck hunting is one of those special activities where you need to keep yourself dry and warm, or the entire hunting experience can turn into pure misery. There is nothing worse than sitting in a blind all day soaked to the bone in wet clothes as your chattering teeth scare away all of the waterfowl. If you want to stay dry, waders are a must. But not all waders are created equally. While just about everything out there might keep you dry, that doesn’t mean you’ll be comfortable. Well, that’s where Hodgman steps in. The Hodgman Wader Guidelite brand of…

Until just a few months ago, there was no limit on Chinook salmon bycatch in any trawl fishery in the Gulf of Alaska. In August 2012, a 25,000 fish cap on the Gulf pollock fishery went into effect. This historic cap is important, but there is another offender out there. Other trawl fisheries in the Gulf also catch Chinook salmon as bycatch while targeting flatfish, cod and rockfish. On average these other fisheries are responsible for about one third of the Chinook salmon bycatch every year, but in some years they’ve been responsible for 60 percent or more of the…

Guy Harvey Dri Release Shirt The new Dri-Release Performance Shirts from Guy Harvey won’t only keep you protected from the sun when out on the water, they will also keep you cool and dry. The performance shirts come in several different nautical designs from artist Guy Harvey, and the cutting-edge fabric feels as soft as cotton, but this is not your basic t-shirt. The Dri-Release line of shirts wick away moister, protect your skin from harmful UV rays and dry quickly to keep you comfortable all day. And, the shirts even keep the stink off you, so you won’t smell…

NOAA Fisheries, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the Fishery Foundation of California recently completed removal of a 7-foot dam, re-opening more than six miles of spawning habitat for federally protected steelhead. In the San Francisco Bay Area, fish barriers have been identified as a limiting factor for the steelhead population. The removal of this dam on Bear Creek, a tributary to San Francisquito Creek, will allow steelhead access to historic habitat for spawning and rearing for the first time in decades, and improve ecological connectivity for other fish and wildlife resources. “With few streams left in…

The Christie Administration recently requested a federal disaster declaration for New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fishing industries, which sustained significant revenue losses and damages to its fleet and infrastructure as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Governor Chris Christie made the request for a declaration of a federal fisheries resource disaster to Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank. “New Jersey’s commercial and recreation fishing industries are essential to our coastal economy, generating some $2.7 billion in combined economic activity,” Governor Chris Christie said. “The storm resulted in significant losses for the industry, damaging or destroying vessels, ports, facilities, and equipment. It…

Jose Wejebe Spanish Fly Memorial Foundation On April 6, 2012, the fishing community lost a great angler, icon, and friend, Jose Wejebe, host of the television show, Spanish Fly. Through his show and his adventures, Jose shared his passion for fishing and a lifestyle that touched and inspired anglers around the world. At the same time, Jose encouraged conservation, leading his viewers by example to take better care of the environment they so enjoy. Jose Wejebe never forgot his humble beginnings or those others that helped him find success. Throughout his life and career, Jose unselfishly donated his time, money…

BP Exploration and Production Inc. (BP) agreed to plead guilty to felony manslaughter, environmental crimes and obstruction of Congress and will pay a record $4 billion in criminal fines and penalties for its conduct leading to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 people and caused the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history. The 14-count information, filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana, charges BP with 11 counts of felony manslaughter, one count of felony obstruction of Congress, and violations of the Clean Water and Migratory Bird Treaty Acts. Subject to the Court’s approval, BP…

“The devastation to Northeast fishing communities caused by Hurricane Sandy is deeply saddening and incredibly unfortunate. As anglers, all of these people are members of our community, our neighbors across the country,” Okuma Fishing Tackle wrote in a recent email blast to its customers. To lend support to those in need, Okuma created a simple program that makes it easy for all of its customers to help. Through December 15th, U.S. consumers can use the discount code SANDY on Okuma’s website and they will receive 50 percent off the retail price of all in-stock Okuma branded apparel, as well as…

Boat Owner’s Association of The United States (BoatUS), estimates that over 65,000 recreational boats were damaged or lost as a result of Hurricane Sandy. BoatUS also estimates the damage caused to recreational boats at $650 million, making the late October storm the single-largest industry loss since BoatUS began keeping track in 1966. “We are all reeling from the huge impact this storm has had on communities and people’s lives,” said BoatUS AVP Public Affairs Scott Croft. “We’ve never seen anything like it. The scope of the damage to boats is unprecedented, affecting large areas from the Atlantic seaboard as far…

PENN Squall Star Drag 25N 30-40 Sizes When PENN introduced the Squall Star Drag reels in 2011, they instantly became a big hit with anglers who use the reels to cast baits to big-game fish. The open-top design makes the Squall a perfect fit for casting baits and iron, as well as surf fishing and jigging applications. Realizing that these lightweight, graphite reels could handle all sorts of applications, Penn decided to increase the lineup and introduced three new sizes, the 25N, 30 and 40 in addition to the 12 and 15 that were previously available. The Squall Star Drag…

Ford Ecoboost 400 The Homestead-Miami Speedway will bestow a uniquely South Florida “trophy” to the winner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series EcoBoost 400 race. The driver who finishes in first place will win a new Bay Boat, equipped with a 250-horsepower, 4-stoke Yamaha engine, and built by Homestead-based Contender Boats. The boat will also feature a unique hull design thanks to a specially designed wrap by Guy Harvey. The art has checkered flags, sailfish and marlin. In addition to the design for the boat wrap, Guy Harvey and the Homestead-Miami Speedway are teaming up to raise money for worthy…

AFTCO 500000 Conservation The American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) has long been known for producing quality saltwater fishing products and working on important ocean conservation issues within the sport fishing community. From AFTCO’s own line of fishing clothing and saltwater tackle, to licensed products by artists Al Agnew and Guy Harvey, AFTCO blends a love for fishing with a desire to give back to the oceans. For more than 50 years, AFTCO has donated proceeds from the sale of AFTCO tackle and clothing products to various causes aimed at protecting our fishing resources and angler access to these resources. Over…

Win an Okuma Makaira rod! Okuma is giving away 9 Makaira rods in 9 weeks. All you have to do to win is register below and you could walk off with a high-end offshore rod built to take on any fish in the ocean. Make sure you come back to the Okuma contest page each week to see the new rod available. There are 9 chances to win, but you must register for each rod given away. It’s super easy and only takes a minute to register, so don’t forget to come on back to see the latest Okuma rod…

Snook Florida Tournament Forty-four teams participated in the 2012 RedSnook Catch & Release Charity Tournament on November 2-4, 2012, generating a record $125,000 to support the water quality protection and game fish research conducted by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. “We are more than pleased with these record results,” said Conservancy President Andrew McElwaine. “Perhaps even more importantly, we are overwhelmed with the level of support provided by the community — the anglers, guides, sponsors and donors. The money raised from the event will ultimately help ensure that our waters and estuaries remain viable for sport fishing far into the…

The latest frame color from Costa Sunglasses may very well be it’s best one yet. Guys who love camouflage better get in line for the Realtree AP camo line of sunglasses that Costa recently came out with, just in time for the holidays. Whether you’re in the woods stalking a deer or just bumping around town, you can show your true colors with the camo frames that are available in some of Costa’s most popular styles including the Fantail, Blackfin, Double Haul and Zane. One of the most effective camo patterns available, Realtree AP features overlapping limbs and hazy…

Samples of albacore tuna caught off the West Coast of the United States show minute traces of radiation that can be traced to the Fukushima reactor disaster in Japan, according to a team of scientists from Oregon State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The radiation levels in fish analyzed to date are far below anything that would pose a risk to humans who consume the fish, the research team emphasized. The findings are preliminary and additional fish will be tested. But the findings could reveal new information about where Pacific albacore travel during their migratory lives —…

Costa is going on the trip of a lifetime. For the next seven years, Costa’s GeoFish project will be all about one thing — exploration. The basic idea behind GeoFish is unlike anything the fishing world has seen to date. The anglers in these series of films take off in a vegetable oil powered fly-fishing quest around the world. Former creators of AEG Media and the Fly Fishing Film Tour, Thad Robison, Brian Jill, Jay Johnson and Chris Owens star in the GeoFish series as it documents the lifestyles, adventures, mishaps, and camaraderie of four expedition anglers on an around-the-world…