Author: BD STAFF

The 48th annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament, one of the oldest fishing tournaments in the Florida Keys, is set for Thursday through Sunday, December 1-4. The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is the first leg of the renowned triple-crown Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship series that also includes the Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament, set for January 20-22, 2012, and the Islamorada Fishing Club Sailfish Tournament, January 25-26, 2012. The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is an all-release boat event and the only tournament in the series to offer a junior division for anglers age 16 and younger. The tournament opens with pre-registration at…

Anglers Feeding America is a non-profit organization that has taken on the mission to help feed low-income families across America during the holiday seasons and provide food and water during disaster relief efforts. The AFA’s current mission is to help feed impoverished families for the Christmas Holiday. Every gift basket is filled with enough food to make a complete holiday dinner for every family. The goal is to feed 100 families for 2011. AFA will be distributing the baskets to families in need on December 22, 2011. To meet its goal, the organization must raise money from individuals and businesses…

Citing “successful spotted Florida seatrout management,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to increase both commercial and recreational fishing opportunities for the popular fish. “What we are trying to do is be fair in a fishery that is in abundance, and in some cases, way in abundance,” said FWC Chairman Kathy Barco. “We are dealing with a success story.” “At the end of the day, both commercial and recreational fishermen are getting something,” said Commissioner Brian Yablonski. Changes take effect February 1, 2012, and include: • Removing regional recreational season closures (removing the current February closure in…

Bass Pro Shops has big plans for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. The retail giant’s 5th Annual Great Turkey Campout begins nationwide at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at 53 Bass Pro Shops store locations nationwide. From 5 – 8 p.m. Thanksgiving evening, family and friends are invited to gather around fire pits, enjoy free hot chocolate and s’mores, and take part in some fun games. Campers can register to win Bass Pro Shops gift cards to be given away every half hour. Also, they can enter the Great Turkey Campout Sweepstakes to win one of the huge prize packages. One first…

10 PICKS ———- Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, the holidays are right around the corner and that means you better get your shopping done. If you’ve got a special angler in your life (or you want to make your own wish list to leave for Santa), check out the annual BD Holiday Gift Guide. We’ve narrowed down the long list of products on the market to 10 items we think every angler would want to find under the tree. SIMMS Dry Creek Duffel Grunden’s Gage Storm Surge Rain Gear Halco Max 130 Okuma Makaira Reel Bubba Blade AFTCO…

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has decided to increase the recreational bag limit for red drum or redfish in the northeast and northwest portions of the state, citing what it calls “successful red drum management.” The change, approved at a November 16 FWC meeting, will take effect on February 1, 2012. The rule change will include the following: • Create three management areas for red drum (the northwest, the northeast and the south) instead of one statewide management area. • Increase the number of redfish that a recreational fisherman can take per day in the northeast and…

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently announced that it is going to change how gag and red grouper are managed in Gulf of Mexico state waters. The changes include additional protections for gag grouper while increasing the bag limit for red grouper. FWC says these further changes will make state protections consistent with gag and red grouper federal rules in the Gulf of Mexico. “We are listening and are very concerned about the economy, jobs and managing resources for longevity as well,” Commissioner Ron Bergeron said following stakeholder conversation. Changes for red grouper will take effect December…

The bite was off the chain at the Guatemala leg of the Presidential Challenge of Central America. The fleet put up some huge numbers, releasing 346 sailfish, three blue marlin and two striped marlin, all using Berkley 20-pound test line and non-offset circle hooks. With a stellar Day Three performance, Team OBX emerged victorious in Guatemala with a three-day total of 4,200 points aboard the Rum Line with Capt. Chris Sheeder. They also finished third in the Costa Grand Champion standings for the season with 7,650 points. The team’s roster included Mike Viveiros, Dell Dembosky, Craig Johnson, Gary Tarpley, Ebby…

Lowrance’s new Mark-4 grayscale and Elite-4 color series of compact, dual-frequency fish finders offer impressive imaging for a small unit as well as chartplotter options. Both series feature LED-backlit, 3.5-inch displays for better visibility at wider viewing angles, and more importantly, they are easy to read in all weather conditions, including direct sunlight. These units are small and affordable, but they don’t lack on features, making them perfect for small boats and kayaks. Use the TrackBack functionality to review the sonar-display history and save a waypoint using baitfish, game fish or structure on the sonar history. There are six different…

The 57th edition of the Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show, the largest fishing and hunting show on the East Coast, is et to kick off from February 4-12, 2012 at the State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This year’s show will feature the latest and greatest in hunting and fishing equipment and techniques presented by more than 1,200 exhibitors with more gun manufacturers than ever, a fully loaded fishing and boat hall, two full archery halls, and hundreds of guides and outfitters from across the United States and around the world. A wide range of celebrity guests and seminar…

Brush up on your hook-set because the virtual angling experience, Rapala for Kinect for Xbox 360, is now from available Activision Publishing, Inc. Using the motion controls of Kinect for Xbox 360, players can use their body motions to set the hook, make a cast and reel in a trophy fish. Featuring an arcade-style fishing experience, Rapala for Kinect is controlled solely by the player’s physical gestures with intuitive, easy-to-learn Kinect for Xbox 360-optimized movements. A 45-second cast-to-catch time frame ensures that you’ll get a bite and have some fun. Players also race their boats to score bonuses for the…

Looking for a unique holiday gift? Check out the range of items available in the Future Fisherman Foundation’s online auction that kicks off on November 17. Support the “Future of Fishing” while getting a great bargain. Interested bidders can log onto the F3 web site www.futurefisherman.org to view all of the listed items which include 27 different guided fishing trips to over a dozen different states as well as Mexico, NASCAR memorabilia, fishing tackle, clothing, artwork and autographed collectables such as a fiddle signed by Charlie Daniels. Every bid will count toward helping the Foundation maintain such great programs as…

The 2011 open recreational harvest season for gag grouper in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico state waters (excluding Monroe County) will close Wednesday, November 16. The final day of harvesting is November 15. This fall season opened on September 16. At the April 2011 meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Commissioners voted to close the gag grouper season in Gulf state waters for the rest of the year with the exception of the fall harvest season in an effort to become consistent with similar pending federal management efforts. As a result of that meeting, gag grouper closed…

As Louisiana waterfowl hunters prepare for opening day of the regular duck season in the West Zone this Saturday, and the East Zone on November 19, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) reminds hunters to be on the lookout for some new residents in the local marshes and fields. Back in February, officials released 10 juvenile Louisiana whooping cranes at White Lake Wetland Conservation Area as the first step in re-establishing a self-sustaining whooping crane population in southwest Louisiana. Four of those original birds have survived, and another 16 whooping cranes are scheduled to be released in early December. Although…

PENN recently launched a new social sharing app on the PENN official Facebook page called War Stories. Anglers can submit their favorite fishing stories, photos and YouTube videos to share with friends or check out stories posted by other anglers through the app. Additionally, users can earn badges for getting “likes” to a story, sharing with friends or posting from multiple locations. Each week PENN will pick one angler’s story to feature on the PENN profile picture and the brand will post a link to the wall for the community to read. To submit a story, anglers just need to…

All of us at BDoutdoors.com wanted to take a moment on Happy Veteran’s Day 2011 to thank all of the U.S. veterans and enlisted servicemen and women for all they’ve done to keep us safe on our home shores and abroad. BD’s home offices are based in San Diego, California, and we have tons of friends and relatives who currently serve in the armed forces. We’re also fortunate to have a growing community of soldiers on our forums who love to fish and hunt. So, on this special day we wanted to say that we appreciate everything you do. We’ve always…

As many of you already know, the founders of Rotations Pet Food don’t just make high-quality pet food, they also love to fish. These guys have been active on the West Coast fishing scene (and beyond) for years. They post their reports to the BD forums and have been an integral part of our online fishing community. For that reason, we’ve partnered up to offer all BD pet owners discounts and even free bags of Rotations dog food. Now, Rotations is doing even more to give back. Not only do you get a great food for your pet, but 10…

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is restoring several pheasant hunting opportunities in northern California Type A wildlife areas for the 2011 season. DFG reduced the number of pheasant hunting opportunities available to upland game hunters last year. Some of those reductions remain in place for 2011, but pheasant hunting will once again be offered in many locations on the first Monday of the season. The pheasant season opens on the second Saturday of November (November 12 this year) and the length of the season will remain the same at 44 consecutive days for the general season and…

No matter what the season, there’s always something to fish for in the waters surrounding the Florida Keys and Key West. Every month there’s a choice of targets, tackle and tactics that makes the Keys one of the world’s truly unique saltwater sport-fishing locations The diverse fishing opportunities are reflected in an abundance of tournaments. In addition to those listed here, a comprehensive annual schedule of Keys angling challenges can be found at www.fla-keys.com/fishing. Florida Keys Fishing Tournaments 2011: Nov. 11-12: “Ladies Let’s Go Fishing!” Islamorada. Female anglers polish their skills and fish in an event sponsored by the fishing…

Cape Eleuthera Resort & Yacht Club in the Bahamas recently announced that the 2012 Cape Eleuthera Wahoo Tournament will take place January 18th through 21st. In addition to a handcrafted trophy, the winner will receive $1,000 in Shell fuel products from the Tournament’s lead sponsor Sun Oil Bahamas Ltd. “The Cape Eleuthera Wahoo Tournament is highly competitive yet the rules are simple and uncomplicated,” said Cape Eleuthera’s general manager Stephen Kappeler. “After a busy day on the water, the evenings’ activities are relaxed with good food cooked on an open fire. Best of all, the wahoo fishing in Exuma Sound…

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has selected two Department of Fish and Game (DFG) scientists to serve on the black abalone recovery team. Ian Taniguchi and Dr. Jim Moore will join a team of experts who are tasked with developing a recovery plan for black abalone, which was listed as a federally endangered species in January 2009. “Because of Mr. Taniguchi’s extensive knowledge of black abalone life history, population dynamics and conservation, and Dr. Moore’s extensive knowledge of abalone diseases and effects on wild populations, their direct participation will contribute significantly to the recovery efforts for this species,” said…

Community groups, nonprofits and grassroots organizations wanting to keep local boaters safe and waterways clean are eligible for grants for up to $4,000 each from the BoatUS Foundation’s Grassroots Grants Program. A total of $50,000 is available in this grant cycle. Applications are due no later then January 4, 2012. “The Foundation is looking for new and innovative project ideas to educate boaters on safe and clean boating” says Program Manager Alanna Keating. “Applicants are encouraged to upload photos and videos showcasing their proposed project ideas. The strongest grant applications will be posted online for the public to vote on…

For Wade Davis of West Palm Beach, Florida, earning grand champion honors at the Florida Keys’ Redbone tournament that ended Sunday, November. 6, was especially meaningful. Fishing with Capt. Dave Denkert of Key Largo, Florida, Davis released 18 redfish and two bonefish during the two-day contest, which is a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis treatment and research. Davis lost his daughter two years ago to cancer at the age of 3-1/2, and he said helping raise funds for cystic fibrosis research, as well as children’s pediatric hospitals, honors her memory. His infant son, now 5-1/2 months old, accompanies him to fishing…

A new report shows that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in association with state agencies and other conservation organizations, contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000 jobs across the country. “The report confirms once again that fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreational activities are an economic engine for our country,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “When we invest in restoring fish and wildlife habitat and creating opportunities for people to enjoy outdoor recreation, we are investing in economic growth and jobs for the American people.” Overall, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation contribute an estimated…