Author: BD STAFF

Local Knowledge Take wheel S3 E03 Traditionally, the process of becoming a captain starts with becoming a mate.  An apprenticeship where one can learn the ropes and tricks of the trade from a captain with much more experience on the water.  “There is a whole lot of knowledge involved in taking and inexperienced group of people offshore. Keeping them safe, having a good time and if all goes well, catching them fish is all part of the job”, said Capt. Rush Maltz.  “A boat captain has to be an electrician, plumber, mechanic, fishermen, weatherman, coach, entertainer and more.  There is…

Editor’s Note: Check out the latest action for Central American fishing in the April Costa Rica fishing report from Crocodile Bay Resort written by Fishing Director Allan Smith. Costa Rica Fishing Report Greetings from the tropics, Last week we had the pleasure of hosting the JBL Communications Tournament put on by Brook Lunsford. Brook is a super nice guy and one of our long time guests. Joining Brook was a group of friends, clients and associates for a two day Costa Rica Fishing tournament. It is always a bonus when you can mix business with pleasure. The tournament consisted of five teams on separate boats…

King Mackerel Fishing Full Episode Mack Attack appeared April 29, 2018 on Discovery Channel. As the guy’s head out in Key West, Florida armed with new lures from Nomad Design, with the intention to “create” a bite they can fish with artificial baits and end up with a genuine king mackerel fishing “attack”. By chumming and releasing live bait to get the fish fired up, Ali and Rush tap into the mixed-bag frenzy they whip up on the reefs of Key West.  Using the incredibly tough Nomad lures, they have a blast fishing king mackerel, cobia and more.  The locals call…

LA Chapter BBQ – On Saturday, May 19, 2018 starting at 10:00 AM the Los Angeles Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association California (CCA CAL) will be holding is third annual LA Chapter BBQ / fundraiser presented by Okuma Fishing Tackle and the Los Angeles Rod and Reel Club at the Long Beach Rod and Gun Club located at 3333 Pacific Place, Long Beach, CA 90807. Admission tickets are $50 and include CCA membership or renewal, fantastic BBQ provided by Calabasas Custom Catering, beer, wine, soft drinks and water. Added to the LA Chapter BBQ this year are two popular fishing seminars,…

Editor’s Note:  In a world of electronic reviews and quick surveys, it is often hard to know who to listen to.  We want to share some heartfelt BoatUS Testimonials from Members who took the time to share their BoatUS and TowBoatUS experiences with their fellow boaters. BoatUS Testimonials Dear Fellow Boaters I’ve had a BoatUS Unlimited Towing Membership for many years. I had no incidents until the day last August that I decided to show my wife the “shortcut” through the marshes that we used in the 70’s. I have a jet boat which draws 18-inches, so I opened the…

If you ever wondered what big game fishing is about, check out this incredible video from the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown! A total of 43 of the world’s most competitive billfishing teams comprised of 207 individual anglers challenged each other over three days of fishing, releasing a total of 564 billfish, including 518 sails and 46 marlin in this year’s Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown fishing tournament. Will Drost of Maverick Sportfishing described some of the nail-biting action and suspense of fishing at this level of competition, “It was as awesome day when a marlin snuck in on us and…

Seakeeper 2 Gyro Stabilizer Seakeeper 2 is revolutionizing the small boat experience! Seakeeper has brought their incredible boat-stabilizing gyro to boaters in the 27′ to 32′ foot range with their smallest unit yet; the Seakeeper 2.  You have to feel it in person to believe it and you can set up a Seakeeper 2 demo to see it for yourself.  A longtime favorite gyro stabilizer of big yachts and large sportfish boats, Seakeeper has steadily been able to scale down the size of Seakeeper units so that more and more boaters can access their ability to eliminate almost all of the…

Check out the spring fishing reports from Van Wormer Resorts. The season is off and running down on the East Cape of Baja California Sur. It’s only April and anglers at Van Wormer Resorts are seeing plenty of bait in the water and more importantly sardines. There have not been too many sardinas in the area the last few years, so this is a welcome sight. Of course where there is bait there will be predators chasing them. Water temps are reaching 70-75 degrees right now, so the conditions are getting right for a host of species. This week, as…

2018 IGFA World Record Game Fishes Book All the facts and figures behind recreational angling’s most amazing catches are now available in the 2018 edition of IGFA World Record Game Fishes published by The International Game Fish Association. IGFA World Record Game Fishes is the world’s definitive publication of recreational angling records. The 2018 edition includes comprehensive information on all freshwater, saltwater and fly-fishing world records for all-tackle, line classes and length-based catch and release records, including new world records set in the last year. In addition, the publication features a wide variety of unique content like Ten Fishing Tips &…

Local Knowledge Mack Attack airs Sunday morning on Discovery! Get a sneak peak at the second episode of Local Knowledge fishing show as the guy’s head out in Key West, Florida armed with new lures from Nomad Design, with the intention to “create” a bite they can fish with artificial baits. By chumming and releasing live bait to get the fish fired up, Ali and Rush tap into the mixed-bag frenzy they whip up on the reefs of Key West.  Using the incredibly tough Nomad lures, they have a blast with king mackerel, cobia and more. Skyrocketing acrobatic fish make Ali…

Weego, a leading manufacturer of Weego portable power products including jump starters and rechargeable battery packs, recently announced that TowBoatUS has selected Weego as their preferred jump starter.“To be acknowledged by this world-class, professional organization of towing and recovery captains is an awesome validation of our products,” said Gerry Toscani, CEO of Weego. “TowBoatU.S. is driven to providing its members with exceptional service while on the water through their 24/7 service. At Weego, we have a similar goal. Whether you are an existing BoatUS member looking for a cool multi-functional tool that’s packed with features to help you stay charged,…

The Pacific Fishery Management Council added new protections for deep sea coral areas, modified areas that protect priority bottom habitat areas for West Coast groundfish, and reopened fishing in some areas that have been closed to West Coast groundfish fishing. The Council is required by Federal law to identify and protect important fish habitat, while balancing the needs of coastal communities and the fishing industry. The actions span the Federal waters off the U.S. West Coast. They establish protection for over 136,000 square miles of corals, rocky reefs and undersea canyons important to over 100 West Coast groundfish species such…

Turner’s Outdoorsman Wednesday Sale Most Southern Californian Outdoorsmen are familiar with Turner’s Outdoorsman, Southern California’s leading hunting, shooting, and fishing specialty stores. They began in 1971 as a single store in Long Beach. Over the years, they have grown to 23 stores, located throughout Southern California. They take pride in being your neighborhood store and stay dedicated to their local customers.

Season 3 of the fishing show, Local Knowledge, started off with a trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Nomad Sportfishing on April 8, 2018, at 8 AM EST & PST on the Discovery Channel.  The popular kick off episode will re-air April 15th at the same time. In this first episode of Season 3, Ali can’t pass up an opportunity for a trip of a lifetime to jig and pop the remotest areas of the Great Barrier Reef with Nomad Sport fishing. Meanwhile his counterpart Rush stays home to clean up from Hurricane Irma which slammed his hometown in the…

The 2018 recreational Pacific halibut fishing season will commence Tuesday, May 1 for the first of four open periods. The season’s dates will be May 1-June 15, July 1-15, August 1-15 and Sept. 1-Oct. 31, or until the quota is reached, whichever is earlier. The 2018 recreational Pacific halibut quota for the California subarea is 30,940 pounds – about 4,000 pounds less than the 2017 quota. Since 2015, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has managed the Pacific halibut fishing to keep catches within the state’s recreational fishery quota. The open dates are not guaranteed days, and the fishery could be closed early if it…

AFTCO’s Barracuda Geo Cool™ performance shirts are packed with modern AFTECH features that angler’s demand for game changing comfort and performance on the water. Performance Shirts Feature drirelease Geo Cool™ Performance Fabric Mineral infused cooling technology bluesign® approved Flatlock seam construction Mesh panels for added breathability AFBLOCK UPF 50 sun protection AFCOOL quick dry, moisture wicking AFGUARD stain release Active fit – Modern true to size fit The AFTCO Barracuda Geo Cool™ performance sun protection shirt features a next generation drirelease Geo Cool™ fabric that utilizes mineral infused cooling technology that will absorb and dissipate heat to keep you cool, dry,…

Editor’s Note:  Incredible numbers are coming in from Casa Vieja Lodge in their Guatemala fishing report this month.  On The Hunt We hope everyone had a fantastic Easter and Spring Break, albeit at Casa Vieja Lodge it was a tad bit better! There was an intense Easter egg hunt, accompanied of course with a rabbit piñata for the children. Adults took time to see Semana Santa (Holy Week) processions in Antigua which is the second largest celebration in the world following Seville, Spain. A few anglers also visited the local Puerto San Jose procession which is much smaller but still fascinating. Every spring we host…

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced a statewide increase to the recreational canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger) daily limit within the Rockfish, Cabezon and Greenling (RCG) bag limit. The sub-bag limit for canary rockfish will increase from one fish to two fish within the RCG daily bag limit of 10 fish, effective Saturday, April 14, 2018. Limited retention of canary rockfish in California’s recreational fishery began last year as a result of the stock being declared rebuilt. Because retention of canary rockfish had been prohibited in recreational fisheries off California for more than a decade, a one fish daily…

The Port of San Diego’s 39th Annual Day at The Docks – FREE West Coast public celebration of sportfishing will take place on Sunday April 15, 2018 from 9 AM to 5 PM. The festival marks the official start of San Diego’s Spring Saltwater Fishing Season and there is no other event quite like it! The event is held against the backdrop of the San Diego’s dynamic sportfishing fleet located in Point Loma at Harbor Drive and Scott Street.  The San Diego fleet is unique in many ways – it is the largest assembled sportfishing found fleet anywhere in the…

The first of four CCA CAL Battle of the Bays Kayak Fishing Tournaments is one month away. The first Battle of the Bays Tournament will be in Mission Bay on May 5th. The first captain’s meeting will be at Fastlane Sailing and Kayak Center at 10am on April 28th. Afran Abutan will be the guest speaker. Go to www.battleofthebays.com to register or for more information. Proceeds from Battle of the Bays help support the Coastal Conservation Association California. The tournament will follow a “Catch/Photo/Release” (CPR) formats targeting three species of saltwater bass along with a Big Fish cash side pot. Battle of the Bays Kayak Fishing Tournaments…

Mother’s Day is coming quick, May 13th and Costa has Moms in mind with their stylish new ladies frames featuring all of Costa’s premium lenses. Costa is featuring the new Del Mar frame in a variety of colors that all Moms will love. Dress Mom in Costa too with a variety of new ladies apparel from Costa, the lifestyle professionals. Hit up the Costa website and let Mom know you really care.  You could be a hero with wives and girlfriends too.

Costa Rica Fishing Report From Crocodile Bay Greetings from the tropics. March has come to an end the Costa Rica fishing report has been interesting this month. Historically, March is a month with very good sailfish action, but not much variety. This year we have seen the marlin stick around and we are catching yellowfin tuna two or three days a week. In the past five days we have released two marlin over three hundred pounds and caught fourteen tuna. There has been a good concentration of bait offshore and the predators have been taking advantage of it. Big schools of dolphin, tuna, manta rays and  flocks of…

Season 3 of the fishing TV show, Local Knowledge, starts with a trip to Nomad Sportfishing in Austrailia. Ali kicks it off fishing the Great Barrier Reef. In the first episode, Ali can’t pass up an opportunity for a trip of a lifetime to jig and pop the remotest areas of the Great Barrier Reef with Nomad Sport fishing. Meanwhile his counterpart Rush stays home to clean up from Hurricane Irma which slammed his hometown in the Florida Keys.  He also is busy keeping tabs and making plans on the new boat build at Andros Boatworks. The journey to get to…

BD Outdoors would like to introduce you to Matt Hayward of Chovy Art.  His fun style of art is a pleasure to see and he shares his story with us. BD:Where do you live? Matt Hayward:I grew up in Agoura Hills, CA and moved to San Diego for college. After getting married I lived in Encinitas, CA for 6 years before eventually ending up in Point Loma, San Diego, CA. BD:What mediums do you work in and what is your favorite? Matt Hayward:Acrylic, paint pen, spray paint and marker on canvas. BD:What are your other hobbies, and are they related…