Author: BD STAFF

Mustad, the world’s largest-selling brand of fish hook, just introduced a new line of premium angler tools in collaboration with Kevin VanDam, professional bass angler and perhaps the world’s most recognized fisherman. According to Mustad, the new KVD tools combine craftsmanship, functionality and durability with Kevin VanDam’s seal of approval. “I’ve been using Mustad hooks exclusively for more than two decades,” said VanDam. “All their products are well engineered and designed. Their quality is second to none. When I saw and tested the new tools, I was really impressed.” The KVD Premium Angler Tools feature high-quality craftsmanship and dependability with…

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) teamed up with the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Wildlife Conservation Board and a committed landowner to permanently protect 3,104 acres of prime elk habitat in north-central California. “This project was a long time coming and a lot of credit goes to everyone who hung with it to get it done,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The Townley family especially needs to be complimented for its land ownership, stewardship and respect for wildlife. Crucial winter range is now permanently protected for this growing California elk population.” Funding for the…

What is bigger than a baseball and smells like fish? The answer… The giant eyeball found on a south Florida beach. The discovery has led scientists on a hunt to find out what marine creature the big eye may have come from. The “mystery eyeball,” as it’s being referred to by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, was found Wednesday by a beachcomber on Pompano Beach. The FWC said it’s working to find out what creature this eyeball may have come from but all they know right now is that the mystery eye was form some kind of marine…

Guy Harvey, the renowned marine wildlife artist, scientist and conservationist recently donated $200,000 to the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at Nova Southeastern University. The money will help fund research on large marine fishes such as sharks and marlin. Given on behalf of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the funding will be used to support ongoing research projects at the GHRI, which is housed at NSU’s Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research at John U. Lloyd Beach State Park. Established in 1999, the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at NSU is a collaboration between Guy Harvey, and Nova…

Get your claw crackers ready, because Florida’s 2012 recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvest season opens Oct. 15 in state and federal waters. To be harvested, stone crab claws must be at least 2¾ inches in length when measured from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable portion of the claw. Claws may not be taken from egg-bearing female stone crabs. Recreational harvesters can use up to five stone crab traps per person. Stone crabs may not be harvested with any device that can puncture, crush or injure the crab body. Examples of devices that can cause…

A coalition of national boating and fishing organizations concerned with public access to Florida’s Biscayne National Park, recently addressed the development of a General Management Plan for the park and reiterated concerns about the potential to unnecessarily close large areas of the park to the public. The coalition, comprised of the American Sportfishing Association, Center for Coastal Conservation, Coastal Conservation Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, is optimistic that a positive outcome is possible based on recent and ongoing discussions between the National Park Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in an effort…

The Louisiana Saltwater Series Redfish Championship held on October 5 and 6, came to an exciting finale with Luke Landry and Nash Roberts, both of the New Orleans area, winning top honors with a four-fish total weight of 31.96 pounds. After fishing the sand bars on both days, Landry and Roberts landed their trophy-winning fish in deep water. “Due to the wind Friday, the sand bars had dirty water, so we turned to the deep water fish,” explained Landry. “On day two, we returned to the deep water fish. The bite was slower, but two large reds sealed the deal.”…

California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens cited a man for allegedly taking lobsters from others’ traps and returned the lobsters, including undersized lobsters, to the sea. Two wardens on a small boat patrol off Dana Point harbor Saturday night observed a small boat with no lights pulling commercial lobster traps out of the water. When the wardens approached the 12-foot boat with four men aboard and announced themselves as law enforcement, one man threw a line with a commercial lobster buoy back into the water. After an investigation wardens cited 42-year old Yanwu Li from Rowland Heights (Los…

Shimano designed the Talica 50II reel primarily for West Coat anglers who battle cow tuna from long-range boats. The reel holds plenty of line (800 yards of 130-pound PowerPro Hollow Ace) and has enough drag to whip any tuna, but this battle-ready reel isn’t just a West Coast fad. The Talica 50II keeps on proving that its got plenty of power for its size — the reel puts out a max of 60 pounds of drag while maintaining freespool and has a fast retrieve. With characteristics like that, it’s no surprise that anglers outside of California are finding that the…

President Obama recently signed the the Billfish Conservation Act into law, effectively banning the importation of all billfish into the continental United States. America was previously the number one importer of billfish. With this law, that demand will be lessened, and so will the global commercial fishing pressure for billfish, which are one of the most coveted game fish in the ocean. The signing marks the culmination of a united undertaking by a diverse coalition of angling and conservation organizations working in cooperation with a bipartisan group of congressional champions. Although there are no commercial fisheries targeting billfish in the…

Check out all of the action from the 2012 Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic in this year’s Photo Gallery. Fishing was tough, but nearly all crews saw fish and everyone had a blast at the Opening Day Kickoff Party and Award’s Banquet. All teams went home with killer swag bags full of gear from our generous sponsors, and the tournament raffle included high-end prizes such as custom rods, Penn Torque and International reels, Grundens Gage Gear, Fishworks clothing, Salt Life apparel, COSTA sunglasses and much more. Clayton Dobbs was the biggest raffle winner of the night, as he had…

Cabo San Lucas, located at the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is an angler’s paradise with a wide range of species available for fishermen of all walks. Whether you’re into trolling for marlin offshore, or prefer to fly-fish the beaches, Cabo has something for you. Below you will find a list of some of Cabo’s best charter boats and guide services. Prices are subject to change so make sure to contact the charter operator directly. ABY Sportfishing Charters ABY offers boats from 22 to 52 feet for all budgets. Located on Dock “3” Dorado sidewalk across from Finisterra Hotel.…

The Billfish Foundation (TBF) recently confirmed a marlin recapture and this fish made some impressive moves. This white marlin traveled a total of 14 years, 5 months, 18 days with a TBF tag in it! The white marlin was originally tagged in Puerto Rico by Patti Morrison aboard Grand Illusion with Capt. Puchy Sanabria, Jr. The fish was recaptured in La Guaira, Venezuela, and reported to TBF by a local scientist. According to his report, this white marlin grew more than 12 inches and weighed at least an additional 30 pounds. Marlin Tag Recapture While this fish appeared to travel…

Going into the final tournament of the season, 46 teams are still alive in the 2012 Louisiana Saltwater Series Redfish Series championship race. The championship is a two-day tournament, with a two-fish total weight per day to determine the 2012 champion. The event will be based at Venice Marina on Friday, October 5 through Saturday, October 6. The 100 percent payout tournament has dished out nearly $60,000 in its third year. Since the tournament’s inception in 2010, 1,915 fish have been tagged as part of the department’s Louisiana Cooperative Marine Sport Fish Tagging Program, and 102 have been recaptured. “With…

Lowrance recently expanded its HDS Gen2 range, with the new wide-format, touchscreen HDS Gen2 Touch. Gen2 Touch models incorporate new easier-to-use, wide touchscreens in 7-, 9- and 12-inch sizes. The new Lowrance lineup — an addition to the current HDS Gen2 series — also features Broadband Sounder and StructureScan HD fish-finding technology. The Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touchscreen incorporates chartplotting capabilities and integration of Lowrance’s range of products including Broadband Radar, SonicHub marine audio server and LWX-1 Sirius satellite weather/radio receiver. “The new HDS Gen2 Touch combines all the superior fishfinding and navigational technologies Lowrance customers love, in a sleek easier-to-use…

Chasing Giant Tuna There aren’t many anglers who can say they’ve battled giant bluefin tuna in the 800- to 1,000-pound class. There are even fewer who can say they’ve actually caught them. These fish are tackle-destroying beasts that will test an angler’s will and gear to the max. And that’s what the BD crew lives for… To battle big fish. In the summer of 2012, the BD crew headed up to Prince Edward Island, Canada, to fish with the MacDonald brothers who own and operate Tony’s Tuna Fishing, but this year was different. Joining BD was Mike Medina, the lucky…

The teams fishing the Club Nautico de San Juan’s 59th International Billfish Tournament (IBT) released an astounding 102 blue marlin. The event also became the first tournament to partner with the National Geographic Society in the deployment and recovery of six billfish Crittercams to capture images of these magnificent fish in their natural environment. “We set a new record this year of an average of 2.5 blue marlin released per boat. It was a very successful tournament,” says tournament chair Miguel Donato. Gaviota, a 52 Viking won the Top Boat trophy by being the first boat to release six blue…

Costa’s Custom Marlin Sculpture The custom-built, 4-foot-long, one-of-a-kind marlin sculpture made entirely out of Costa Del Mar sunglasses can now be yours. Costa commissioned these sculptures for a series of advertisements that were featured online and in print. As part of its effort to give back to the resource, Costa decided to auction off the sculptures to raise money for various groups. The Billfish Foundation will be the proud benefactor of the Costa marlin, which makes perfect sense. Put in the high bid at The Billfish Foundation’s 26th Annual Gala and Live Benefit Auction and this incredible sculpture will be…

The 2012 California Billfish Series presented by COSTA gave away about $150,000 in cash and prizes in its three tournaments, including the Zane Grey Invitational, the Avalon Billfish Classic and the Catalina Classic. While the striped marlin fishing was tough, nearly every crew saw fish and had a chance at the big prizes up for grabs. But at the end of the day, the teams on Chaser, a 54-foot Viking with Capt. Jimmy Kingsmill at the helm and California Style, a 50-foot Pacifica led by Burl Gregory and G.J. Sacco were the big winners. Chaser won the opening event of…

The team fishing on the California Style weighed in a qualifying striped marlin on Day One of the Catalina Classic presented by COSTA, and released a second striped marlin on Day Two to steam ahead of the 27-boat fleet and win a total prize purse of nearly $70,000. California Style won the $25,000 roll-over money from the 2011 Catalina Classic and swept the dailies and $250 jackpot category. The crew’s captain, Burl Gregory, and gaff man G.J. Sacco boated angler Christian Petersen’s striped marlin on Day One of the event. The fish was brought back to the Green Pier late…

The team on California Style took the lead in the 2012 Catalina Classic with the first qualifying fish of the tournament. Christian Petersen hooked the striped marlin just after 9:30 a.m. on Day One of the Catalina Classic. The crew was fishing out by San Clemente Island when they got the fish to bite a jig. When California Style got the fish to the boat about 30 minutes later, they were faced with the tough decision of boating the striped marlin or releasing it. To count as a qualifying striped marlin, the fish must measure at least 80 inches or…

The 2012 Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic are officially underway! Follow all of the action, live and up-to-the-minute thanks to the California Billfish Series’ Live Scoring Feed. AVALON BILLFISH CLASSIC CATALINA CLASSIC Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic Live Scoring The Catalina Classic and Avalon Billfish Classic are the two final events in the 2012 California Billfish Series presented by COSTA. The striped marlin bite has been picking up steam and the fleet could not have gotten better weather. There are 27 boats competing in the Catalina Classic and an additional 22 boats are also fishing in the Avalon…

Billfish Conservation Act Passes After four years of work, the Billfish Conservation Act passed the U.S. Senate and is now headed to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Very few bills have become law this Congress due to partisan disagreements, but the Billfish Conservation Act has been overwhelmingly supported by both parties in both chambers. Senator David Vitter (R-LA) sponsored the original bill in the Senate, and with the help of Florida Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), they helped get this important bill passed. The support of these key senators has bolstered the campaign to conserve billfish populations which have been…

On the campaign trail, presidential hopefuls rarely talk about recreational fishing or the use of public lands for recreational activities. Thanks to the work of KeepAmericaFishing.org, anglers across the nation can read a side-by-side comparison of how the presidential candidates plan to address fisheries conservation and angler access to public waters should the be elected. Presidential Candidates Talk Fishing KeepAmericaFishing, the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) angler advocacy campaign, posed questions to presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney regarding management of our nation’s fisheries and access to recreational fishing. Each candidate received the same questions except for one that is…