Author: BD STAFF

The Marlin Club of San Diego will host the Michael Farrior / IGFA Junior Anglers Tournament on August 18, 2012. The tournament welcomes junior anglers between the ages of 8 and 16 to celebrate a free day of angling fun for boys and girls. The tournament includes a free half-day fishing trip aboard the Fisherman III from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Following the fishing there will be a free barbecue at 4 p.m. at the Marlin Club, located at 2445 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego. One adult may accompany up to two juniors. Private boat entries are also…

The Sportfishing Conservancy recently announced that world-renowned artist, angler and conservationist Guy Harvey has donated $4,000 through his Guy Harvey Ocean Fund to sponsor the four scholarship awards that will culminate the summer-long 2012 Sanctuary Classic online fishing photo contest. These four $1,000 scholarships are presented following the event’s Labor Day conclusion, they will be named the Guy Harvey Sanctuary Classic Scholarship Awards. Harvey himself will be among the judges, choosing from among all the photos submitted through the event’s website (www.sanctuaryclassic.org) four photos that best exemplify the following themes: Kids Fishing, Kids and Family Fishing Values, Kids in the…

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media chan The survey also found a patchy distribution of hypoxia across the Gulf differing from any previously recorded. This is in stark contrast to last year, when flood conditions, carrying large amounts of nutrients, resulted in a dead zone measuring 6,770 square miles, an area of the state of New Jersey. The last time the dead…

Well-known lure designer and fisherman Patrick Sebile has been on a lifelong quest to catch as many different fish species as he possibly can. At the age of 14, Patrick began tracking his adventures and his catches that grew with each passing year. Recently landing a Sergeant-Major, Patrick logged his 700th different fish species. Locking down number 700 is quite a feat for the international angler that has traversed the entire world in search of his goal. “That is so good, so sweet,” said Sebile. “When I was only 14, in the southwest of France, I never thought my dreams…

True champions don’t make pit stops in victory lane — they live there. That’s the concept upon which the new Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series was founded. Produced by veteran tournament promoter, Bluewater Movements, this series is expected to host some of the best billfishing teams on the East Coast. Teams competing in the series will be fishing for an anticipated purse of more than $1,000,000. However, the most sought-after award won’t come in the form of a cash prize. These offshore warriors will be on a quest to claim what is destined to become the most coveted award…

A unanimous vote led to the removal of Dan Richards, seen by many as a friend to hunters and anglers, as president of the California Fish and Game Commission. He will remain with the Commission until January 15, 2013, which is the end of his term, but will no longer be president. Jim Kellogg will replace Richards as president. Richards drew a ton of attention for taking part in a legal mountain lion in Idaho back in February. Photos of Richards posing with a lion he shot went around the internet and the Humane Society and several others began calling…

Hobie’s Mirage Pro Angler 12 recently took home the coveted Best of Show award at the 2012 ICAST sportfishing trade show. To think that a kayak beat out more than 700 other fishing products, including top-of-the-line reels, lures and all sorts of high-tech gadgets gives you an indication of how unique this kayak is. Hobie introduced the world to the pedal-powered kayak several years ago and they were an instant success with anglers because of their hands-free operation. Well, the Mirage Pro Angler 12 fishing boat takes the sport of yak fishing to a whole new level. The kayak features…

A new study by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and The Outdoor Foundation reveals fishing and boating are among the most important ‘gateway’ activities that often lead people, especially youth, to pursue other recreation experiences. And for the first time in several years — fishing gained more participants than it lost — largely due to women taking up the sport. The study found that fishing remains one of the most popular recreational activities in the country with more and more people trying out the sport every day. According to the 2012 Special Report on Fishing and Boating, fishing…

With nearly $25,000 in prize money already in the bank and a quickly improving striped marlin bite off of the Southern California coastline, the 2012 California Billfish Series presented by COSTA is off to a promising start! “Several marlin were hooked and/or caught over the weekend at the San Diego, Orange County and island banks, as well as A banks. There have also been sightings and short bites from below the border all the way to Avalon Bank,” said Tournament Director Ali Hussainy. “That is music to our ears! We’re planning on much better fishing than last year, and we’ve…

When 25-year-old Michael Medina got the news that he had won BD’s Race to PEI contest, he was shocked. He’d never won anything in his life, let alone an all-expenses-paid adventure to Canada’s Prince Edward Island to fish for giant bluefin tuna. Michael’s prize included three days of fishing for giant bluefin tuna with the BDOutdoors team and Capt. Tony McDonald from Tony’s Tuna Fishing. Michael had never been to the East Coast or seen the Atlantic Ocean. He quickly got a U.S. passport and started to pack his bag for the five-day trip to the world’s best Atlantic bluefin…

It’s easy to spot a good thing when you see it, and that’s exactly what happened when we stumbled upon the new Accurate SR-6 Twinspin 6 Spinning Reel, at ICAST. Accurate has been making top-of-the-line spinning reels for some time now. The new SR-6 is much smaller in stature than their other line of spinning reels, but it too can takes on serious fish with 15 pounds of drag pressure. That’s pretty impressive considering this reel fits in the palm of your hand and weighs just 10 ounces. The Accurate SR-6 Twinspin 6 Spinning Reel is made of 6061 T-6…

Florida Fishing Workshop Know an adventurous, nature-loving woman who wants to learn more about Florida’s great outdoors in a comfortable, noncompetitive, hands-on environment? If so, now is the time to register for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop which will take place near West Palm Beach. The three-day workshop is scheduled for October 19-21 at the Everglades Youth Camp in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. The workshop begins that Friday at 10 a.m. and ends that Sunday with lunch. Although designed with women in mind, the workshop is open to anyone 18…

The International Billfish Tournament of Club Náutico de San Juan will serve as a launching pad for National Geographic Society scientists to deploy Crittercams on blue marlin. Nat Geo will install several Crittercams on blue marlin during the Tournament’s 59th edition, scheduled for September 23-30. Gustavo Hermida, Commodore of Club Náutico de San Juan (CNSJ) and Miguel Donato, Tournament Chairman, said the Crittercams will capture images of blue marlin in their natural environment. Jean-Paul Polo, Nat Geo producer, said it will be the first time Crittercams will be deployed on blue marlin in a tournament setting. They will use boats…

The California Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Upland Game Bird Special Hunts Program is offering special dove hunt opportunities this year. Hunters who wish to hunt on properties with controlled access must apply for reservations by August 8. Sixteen dove hunts are scheduled throughout California and participants will be determined by lottery. To allow a maximum number of hunters to participate, applicants and their party members may be drawn only once for all lottery dove hunts during the season. Duplicate applications will be disqualified. Dove season opens September 1. Hunters can apply online at http://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/DFGSpecialHunts/Default.aspx. To apply by mail,…

The 2012 Southern California marlin season is looking even more promising thanks to two recent reports. On July 29, the historic Tuna Club, located on Catalina Island since 1898, reported its first striped marlin of 2012. Angler John Curci was awarded the first marlin of the season flag for a 122-pound striped marlin he caught fishing on the Gordo with Mark Tutwiler. John caught the fish on 9-thread line per Tuna Club rules, and the striped marlin is a qualifying button fish. The Tuna Club posted a video showing the fish, which is available at https://vimeo.com/46618089 The Tuna Club wasn’t…

While most fly-fishing shows are held in convention centers or hotels, the clubs of the Southwest Council Federation of Fly Fishers decided to take their first-annual Fly Fishing Faire to the very heart of California’s fly-fishing country — Mammoth Lakes. “Slated for September 13-16, the Fly Fishing Faire will be a potpourri of the sport with clinics, workshops, films, casting, fly-tying, vendor displays and every aspect of the sport,” said Michael Schweit, Southwest Council FFF president. Adult admission will cost $10 while children and teens age 16 and under will get in for free. One admission is good for all…

Even the best-laid plans go awry sometimes. That’s especially true in tournaments when the fish don’t show up. Or in the case of the 2012 Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore, the right fish failed to make an appearance. No qualifying marlin were weighed in this year’s 13th annual event, which took place July 24-28. But by all other measures, the event was an unconditional success. The tournament attracted 350 anglers fishing aboard 61 boats. The fleet caught 94 billfish during the three days of competition. Three weighed marlin didn’t meet the 300-pound weight requirement. A total of 48 striped marlin, 30…

Cheap coolers won’t get you very far in the blistery summer conditions where most of us do a fair bit of our fishing. If you want your frozen baits to stay fresh for days, or need a giant cooler to store your catch, check out the products available from Grizzly Coolers. We first saw the Grizzly line at the recent ICAST sportfishing trade show, and we were super impressed with the quality and workmanship put into these coolers, which are manufactured in the United States. Grizzly coolers feature a double-wall construction process with foam sandwiched in between the hard, molded…

On July 25, 2012, Capt. Brett Holden and his team on the 52-foot Viking Booby Trap made history yet again. In just four hours of fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, the crew managed to catch four species of billfish to log what is known throughout the sport as a Super Slam. To land four species of billfish in a period of a 24 hours is extremely impressive, but to do it in four hours is just insane. Booby Trap caught one blue marlin, one white marlin, two sailfish and four daytime swordfish up to 250 pounds. Holden landed the…

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) will host events at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions this year to honor the Congressional Boating Caucus and educate delegates, Members of Congress and staff about the overwhelming impact that recreational boat, engine and accessory manufacturing has on the U.S. economy. NMMA’s events will include boat demonstrations, information about the economics of the recreational boating industry and an opportunity to meet with industry leaders for an educational afternoon. Highlights also include tips for enjoying a safe day on the water, the latest in technology and “green boating” as well as top policy…

While fishing just 10 miles outside of Dana Harbor on a 17-foot Aquasport, Doug Bury and Chris Spillers got the ride of their lives. The pair wasn’t after marlin, but that’s what they got when Spillers hooked a striped marlin on a rod he usually uses for calico bass and yellowtail. The marlin came tight on a Seeker 196C rod with a Shimano Calcutta 400 spooled with 50-pound PowerPro backing and 20-pound test Berkley Big Game mono with a top shot of 20-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. Here’s the real kicker, the marlin was hooked on a 2/0 Owner hook baited with…

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved two notices of intent regarding the recreational harvest of reef fish including new reporting requirements and the utilization of a free, Offshore Recreational Landings permit. The two new measures are the Department’s first steps in a movement towards regional management. The Department will use this information to collect essential angler and harvest data, which will in turn provide additional liberties and flexibility for recreational fishermen. Current management of reef fish involves not only LDWF, but also the federal government. Management decisions are set for the entire Gulf of Mexico, rather than specific seasons…

While there won’t be any gunslingin’ in the 2012 Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Showdown, there’s definitely a score to be settled. That dispute will be settled in the blue water off south Florida on Saturday, August 4th. The Showdown is the culminating event in the three-leg PBSC trail. Only 75 teams receive the invitation to compete in the Showdown based on their performance in the first two qualifying legs of the series. Currently, Casey Hunt’s Flight Plan fishing team leads the Showdown Crown category sponsored by Simrad Electronics. Fishing aboard a 66-foot Spencer, Hunt’s team stands to become the first…

Yamaha Motor Corp., the leading maker of ATV and Side-by-Side (SxS) vehicles for outdoorsmen, is supporting the National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) again in 2012. And this year Yamaha will give away a Rhino 700 FI SxS with a full suite of Genuine Yamaha hunting accessories. The Rhino will be given away through an online sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is being promoted at NHFD events nationwide and anyone can enter to win by simply registering online at through the end of October 2012. “The National Hunting and Fishing Day is an important reminder and educational tool promoting the significant and…