Author: BD STAFF

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is providing supplemental fish stocking at several Bay Area lakes for the holiday season. Approximately 23,000 pounds of fish will be planted in 21 lakes around the bay area in December. Planting started this week for about 21,000 pounds of rainbow trout, many up to one pound per fish, and 2,000 pounds of catfish up to one and a half pounds each. “The holiday season is a time for family and friends to connect and spend quality time together, and there’s no better way to do this than the time-honored tradition of…

The Sailfish Kickoff, held in Miami, Florida, has a history of being one of the hottest tournaments on the sailfish scene. Since the event began, the Sailfish Kickoff has set numerous records. In 2004 the fleet released more than 400 sailfish in one day! And in 2007 participants released 100 sailfish in the first hour of fishing. But the sailfish didn’t get the memo for this year’s event which took place in December. While fishing was slow by Sailfish Kickoff standards, the sailfish still showed up and made for a competitive tournament. The fishing started out slow for the 37-boat…

On December 15th, the Partnership for Sustainable Oceans (PSO) announced that the legal challenge against the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process is not yet over. Coastside Fishing Club, one of the three petitioners in litigation before the San Diego Superior Court challenging the MLPA regulations adopted by the California Fish and Game Commission for the North Central Coast, filed an appeal with California’s 4th District Court of Appeal. Regulations to close large areas of southern California’s coastal waters to fishing will likely go into effect in January 2012, and the appeal process will likely last until late 2012. Coastside’s…

On Tuesday December 13, Eric Olson, chairman of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, appointed Seward, Alaska, fishing charter operator and halibut fishermen Andy Mezirow to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Advisory Panel. The Advisory Panel (AP) members represent major segments of the fishing industry, including catching and processing, subsistence and commercial fishermen, observers, consumers, environmental/conservation, and sport fishermen. The AP gives the Council guidance on all major fishery issues coming before them. Capt. Andy Mezirow is the owner and full-time operator of Crackerjack Charters (www.crackerjackcharters.com). He is also the Alaska BD Pro Staff representative for www.bdoutdoors.com and a…

Concerned about the spread of northern pike in Washington waters, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is gearing up for a spring campaign to halt the advance of the voracious, non-native fish toward the Columbia River. In the coming months, state fishery managers plan to enlist anglers to remove as many northern pike as possible from the Pend Oreille River, a conduit for pike moving downstream from Idaho and Montana. “Anglers can play a major role in this effort,” said John Whalen, WDFW’s regional fish program manager in Spokane. “Come spring, we’re going to need their help to…

Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts announced plans to open its second boutique resort property on Rum Cay in the southern Bahamas. The popular Sumner Point Marina & Villas property is undergoing renovation will reopen this spring as the Guy Harvey Outpost Club & Marina, Rum Cay. “Rum is the southern gateway in and out of the Bahamas, just like Bimini is to the north, so this is a great complement to our system and certainly will be a welcome Outpost for any of our customers spending time further down the island chain,” notes company President, Mark Ellert. The Rum Cay project…

According to The Billfish Foundation (TBF), the recreational and commercial fishing industries in the United States came away with positive news during the recent negotiations at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). TBF president Ellen Peel attended the meetings and currently serves as the U.S. Recreational Commissioner to ICCAT. ICCAT is a 40-year old inter-governmental fishery organization of some 50 member nations. ICCAT is responsible for the management of tunas and migratory species such as billfish, swordfish and sharks in the Atlantic Ocean, and its adjacent seas including the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico. “Prior to…

The California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) recently earmarked $22.3 million to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. The 19 funded projects will provide benefits to fish and wildlife species, including some endangered species, and increase public access to these lands. Several projects also demonstrate the importance of protecting working landscapes that integrate economic, social and environmental stewardship practices beneficial to the environment and the landowner. The funds for all of these projects come from recent bond initiatives approved by the voters to help preserve and protect California’s natural resources. Some of the funded projects include: •…

Lowrance, a leader in marine electronics since 1957, recently unveiled its next-generation of its top-selling multifunction displays, the HDS Gen2 High Definition Systems. The all-new HDS Gen2 provides faster processing speed and a “StructureMap” view — a powerful, innovative tool that allows users to overlay and save StructureScan sonar images on a chart for review on and off the water. The new displays feature double the memory and twice the processor speed of first-generation HDS models for enhanced responsiveness, faster start-up and menu operation, and lightning-fast chart panning and zooming speeds. When paired with the LSS-1 StructureScan Sonar Imaging module,…

A recent video showing an Italian longline boat killing what appears to be hundreds of juvenile swordfish has been making its way around the internet, causing quite a stir. Many of the swordfish are not more than a few pounds in size. The video has gotten the attention of animal rights groups as well as fishing organizations. One group that voiced its concern is The Billfish Foundation (TBF), which has played an active role in the international management of swordfish, tuna and marlin. According to TBF’s website, the organization has forwarded the video along with its expressed dire concern to…

Looking for a truly unique gift for the upcoming holidays? Check out the Limited-Edition line of camo-colored reels from Accurate Fishing Products. Each year Accurate offers a run of limited-edition reels for the holidays. This year, they really smacked it out of the park with this killer reel coloring that features a water-camo pattern. The pattern is made up blue, black and white, much like some of the popular dive gear and board shorts currently on the market. The coloration of the Limited-Edition Accurate’s isn’t just on the body of the reel, either. It’s on all of the parts, including…

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a notice of intent to establish a free permit for recreational anglers who fish for yellowfin tuna. The information gathered from this permit will provide essential data about the people who fish off of Louisiana’s coast for yellowfin, and how much tuna is harvested each year. “The current system is based upon data that is often old by the time it is in use,” said Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries assistant secretary Randy Pausina. “To better understand our fisheries resources so that we may better enjoy them, we need to collect information…

It’s a common problem on today’s small to mid-size sportfishing boats — limited cockpit space means there’s just no room for a full-sized fighting chair. But just because your deck space is tight doesn’t mean you can’t land big fish. The innovative team at Release Marine recently unveiled a new product that makes a great alternative for smaller game boats — the Battle Saddle. With a profile no larger than a standard rocket launcher, the Battle Saddle offers a way for anglers of all ages and experience levels to safely and comfortably fight large game fish using light or heavy…

Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World because of its native fishes, but it also has a variety of exotic fishes anglers may pursue. An exotic fish is one that is not native to the area in which it is found. Typically, this is because people moved them from one location to another, either intentionally or accidentally, resulting in their illegal release. To many ecologists, any organism that is introduced to a place it did not historically and naturally occur is a nuisance. However, when you look around Florida you will find many species that are associated with the…

“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” We’ve all heard that adage before, but what happens when fishing is your work and bad days are just plain bad? In the new book “A Hard Way to Make an Easy Living,” author and career fisherman Corky Decker offers a compelling and sometimes unsettling look into the life of a fisherman. Decker’s career is unlike many sportfishing captains in that he has fished both commercially and recreationally. From his start as a young boy growing up in Ogunquit, Maine, Decker became infatuated with fish and the…

Working waterfronts, those parts of town at the water’s edge dotted with marine-dependent businesses like marinas, boatyards and haul-out facilities, are crucial to recreational boating. However, in some places they are struggling as municipalities grapple with development pressures and poor planning. That’s why Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine has introduced the “Keep America’s Waterfront Working Act of 2011” (H.R. 3109) in Congress. BoatUS has responded by urging boaters to ask their Congressional representatives to sign on as co-sponsors of the bill. “Boaters rely on such small businesses to provide critical access to the water and essential services for their vessels…

In a letter to President Obama, leading economists and academics expressed the economic imperative of conserving federal public lands and stressed the long-term value these lands bring to both communities and individuals, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP). The letter, signed by more than 100 influential leaders from universities and institutions across the country, describes the profound economic benefits derived uniquely from responsibly managed public lands in the American West, stating, “The West’s public lands contribute to our economic well being in a variety of ways, including resource extraction and recreation.” “Sportsmen have always known that sound conservation…

Many anglers have a difficult time distinguishing the differences amongst the bass family, and just about any fish with stripes is often called a “striped bass.” Striped bass, white bass and yellow bass all have stripes and look fairly similar when they’re the same size. Many of Louisiana’s lakes also have a hybrid between a white bass and a striper, which shares characteristics of both species. The hybrid species was recently stocked in the Calcasieu River and is similar in appearance, size and behavior to the native white bass and because harvest regulations differ for each species, anglers must have…

With a December 31 deadline looming, support is surging for legislation to ensure that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service uses sound science to set catch limits for the nation’s fisheries. A Senate version of the Fishery Science Improvement Act was introduced in late November by Senators Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).

 As amended in 2006, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires Regional Fishery Management Councils to put in place annual catch limits (ACL) for every fishery by December 31, 2011. The requirements were intended to end overfishing by 2011 but…

Fishermen like to buy the latest and greatest products nearly as much as we like to go fishing. And, everyone likes to get a good deal. Thanks to a new website, www.tightlinz.com, you can score up to 70 percent off fishing-related purchases. TightLinz offers daily fishing deals from some of the top manufacturers of tackle, rods, reels, clothing and accessories. The website’s partners provide customers with exclusive access to low pricing on gear from the industry’s best brands. Once a week, TightLinz will launch a new sale, giving its members access to the highest quality merchandise at the lowest prices.…

The only way to keep all of your belongings safe, dry and mildew free on any boat (even large sport-fishers) is to pack your gear in a waterproof dry bag. And when it comes to waterproof bags, you don’t want to go cheap. Simms Dry Creek Duffel Trash bags just won’t cut it. If your favorite angler likes to travel or takes several overnight trips every year, consider getting them a tough-as-nails bag that they can feel safe stowing all of their stuff in, such as the Simms Dry Creek Duffel. Unlike other bags the Dry Creek Duffel features a…

There are more than 40 million anglers in America, and according to the American Sportfishing Association, 25 percent of them are women. And, that number has consistently grown over the years. With that in mind, we at BDoutdoors.com thought it was high time we give the ladies some more exposure on the website. So, without further ado, we’re happy to announce our latest department, called Chicks Who Fish. Each month we will interview a lady angler and get her take on what makes fishing so great. For our first installment, we spoke to Navina Jaensch, who lives and fishes in…

881-pound Bluefin Seized | Bluefin Tuna Illegal This story went around the Internet and we couldn’t help but take notice. According to the Associate Press, Carlos Rafael, who owns a commercial fishing boat based in Massachusetts was elated when one of his trawlers snared an 881-pound tuna in its net. The Standard-Times of New Bedford reported that the tuna was inadvertently snagged as Rafael’s crew set a net to trawl along the bottom for bottomfish such as cod. Unfortunately for Rafael, federal fishery enforcement agents seized the fish when the crew returned to port in mid-November. Apparently Rafael had tuna…

The Florida Fishing Academy, a nonprofit organization created to teach at-risk youth both life and on-the-water skills, recently received two major boosts to help out with its 2012 funding. Celebrated marine artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey pledged to commit $10,000 to be used towards the purchase of kayaks, sailboats, snorkeling gear and other necessary equipment and the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) put in a three-year, $30,000-a-year contract. The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation’s pledge combined with the CRA’s contract will enable Capt. Richard Brochu and his team of volunteers to bring the highly-praised youth boating program to Riviera…