It’s been an interesting year. Who would have ever thought southern tier anglers would be fly fishing with dry flies for trout in early March? Likewise, how often are local anglers able to fly fish for smallmouth bass in April?
Count a lack of snow as the main culprit. There’s no doubt that the southern tier’s snowpack was significantly less than normal during the winter of 2011.
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Tarpon season is on. From Fort Myers to Homosassa,the Silver Kings are starting to go off. With this Spring season’s very mild weather, they showed a little earlier than normal and they are hungry. Reports coming in from Boca Grande Pass are off the charts with several captains reporting 10-15 fish mornings. They are also scattered all along the beaches and should get thicker and thicker. We are also jumping good numbers of fish at the Sunshine Skyway and Gandy Bridges. Large threadfin herring and half dollar sized crabs are the live baits of choice. Be sure to beef up your tackle as a 150 lb tarpon can be as old as 75 years and a fight too long with these beautiful creatures makes it tough to release unharmed and safely,
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Submitted by admin on Thu, 2012-05-10 10:55. Fishing Tournaments
LIZELLA, Ga. – John Henninger, of Jacksonville, Fla., and David Bolema, of Sarasota, Fla., weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 15.06 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Ruskin, Fla., on May 5. To win the event, which operated out of Little Harbor, the duo topped a large field of two-angler teams to take home a new, fully-rigged Ranger Banshee Extreme powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work, Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate, and a Loadmaster trailer valued at $30,000.
The winning team ran 40 miles to the Sarasota area. Dead-sticking Berkley
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Submitted by admin on Thu, 2012-05-10 10:58.
DENVER – Pueblo Reservoir and Blue Mesa Reservoir will again draw anglers from around Colorado during the next two months as they try to land specially tagged fish that could bring them up to $2 million in cash or one of more than $225,000 in prizes during Cabelas’ “Wanna Fish for Millions?” contest.
Colorado is one of 19 states participating in this year’s contest, which is designed to give anglers a little extra incentive to get outdoors and on the water. The contest starts Saturday and runs through July 8.
“Pueblo and Blue Mesa are two of Colorado’s top fishing destinations,” said Greg Gerlich, Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s aquatic section manager. “We’re happy that this contest will help attract attention and anglers to two of our most important fisheries.”
Last year, almost 5,000 anglers from Colorado registered for the contest, with four lucky Coloradans landing winning fish. Three of the winning fish came from Pueblo Reservoir, which is surrounded by Lake Pueblo State Park and Pueblo Reservoir State Wildlife Area.
Blue Mesa Reservoir, located near Gunnison, is part of the Curecanti National Recreation Area and is managed by the National Park Service.
Participating states stocked 1,000 tagged fish in 2011, with anglers across the country landing 143 winning fish. Tagged fish that are legally caught by anglers are eligible for prizes. Complete details of the contest and registration are available online at http://www.cabelas.com/fishformillions.
Headquartered in Sidney, Neb., Cabelas Incorporated is the world’s largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise.
Whether you win in the “Wanna Go Fishing for Millions” contest or not, Colorado Parks and Wildlife encourages everyone to enjoy Colorado’s plentiful fishing opportunities this summer. Colorado residents can buy an annual fishing license for $26. Youth under the age of 15 can fish without a license in Colorado.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife operates 37 state parks and numerous state wildlife areas that offer fishing. To learn more about fishing Colorado, including conditions reports, tips on where to go or to buy a fishing license, please see: http://wildlife.state.co.us/FISHING/Pages/Fishing.aspx.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife was created by the merger of Colorado State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, two nationally recognized leaders in conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife management. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state parks, all of Colorado’s wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs.
To learn more about Colorado’s state parks, please see: http://www.parks.state.co.us
To learn more about Colorado’s wildlife programs, please see: http://wildlife.state.co.us
For more news about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us/NewsMedia/PressReleases
For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.
Media Contact
Theo Stein (303) 291-7665
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May 1, 2012 signals the opening of grouper season in Florida’s Atlantic coast waters and those of Monroe County.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announces the recreational and commercial harvest for grouper will remain open until Jan. 1, 2013 in state waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Monroe County. State waters in the Atlantic are from shore to three miles out.
The species of grouper included in the opening are gag, black, red, yellowmouth, yellowfin, tiger, scamp, red hind, rock hind, coney, and graysby.
Recreational anglers targeting these species of grouper are limited to three grouper, per angler, per day. Within this three fish limit, anglers may only possess one gag or black grouper; not both. The captain and crew of for hire vessels are not allowed to keep any grouper.
The FWC released this press release recently.
Anglers targeting grouper in Florida state waters of the Atlantic, including Monroe County, will be able to take some of their catch home starting May 1, when the season reopens to harvest. Species included in the recreational and commercial opening are gag, black, red, yellowmouth, yellowfin and tiger grouper; scamp; red hind; rock hind; coney; and graysby. State waters in the Atlantic are from shore to three miles out.
The harvest of these species of grouper will remain open through Jan. 1, 2013. The harvest closure was put in place to ensure the long-term sustainability of Atlantic grouper species.
Recreational anglers targeting these species cannot take more than three grouper per person per day. Within this three-fish limit, anglers can only possess one gag or black grouper (not both). The captain and crew of for-hire vessels are not allowed to keep any grouper.
Dehooking tools are required to be aboard commercial and recreational vessels for use as needed to remove hooks from Atlantic reef fish.
More information is available online for grouper bag and size limits, gear restrictions and fishing seasons, including Gulf of Mexico grouper regulations. Go to MyFWC.com/Fishing and select
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Along the beaches and out to the shallow water wrecks and reefs the Spanish mackerel and kingfish bite has been good. Look for schools of bait and work those areas with spoons and jigs for the Spanish macks. You can also slow troll or put out flat lines with large threadfin herring for bait on a stinger rig to catch some nice king mackerel,” reports Capt. George Hastick of Fish Hunter Charters (727-525-1005). The Fish Hunter
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Submitted by admin on Tue, 2012-04-17 12:14. New Hampshire Fishing News
CONCORD, N.H. — N.H. Free Fishing Day is coming on Saturday, June 2, 2012,
so plan to get out and cast a line with your family and friends on New
Hampshire’s lakes, rivers and streams. On Free Fishing Day, state residents
and nonresidents alike can fish any inland water
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Yeah man, there’s a good redfish, snook, and trout bite around Weedon Island right now. There’s also nice Spanish mackeral around Reddington Beach in water around 18 foot depth slow trolling large Spanish sardines and small mullet. Spanish mackeral up to seven pounds are being caught. The kingfish are hit and miss in the same area. The stronger the east winds, the better the kingfish bite has been. The calmer winds let the kings head back out with the cleaner water. There’s been a couple of sailfish caught around the Whitsler Bouy and nice flounder are coming in from the 40 foot depth, The tarpon are also here too,
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Submitted by admin on Wed, 2012-04-18 08:31. Fishing Tournaments
ROGERS, Ark. – The Walmart FLW Tour on Beaver Lake presented by Straight Talk will visit Rogers, Ark., April 26-29 for the third major of its 17th season. Hosted by the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tournament will feature a full field of the world’s best bass pros and co-anglers casting for top awards up to $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and up to $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.
Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., has 25 top-10 finishes and one win on his FLW fishing resume. Canterbury offered some insight into the Beaver Lake event and hinted that it might be a tough one.
“I think there’s going to be a lot going on,” Canterbury said. “There will be some sight fishing for fish left on the beds, and there should be a shad spawn starting. It will be a spawn and post-spawn bite. It could be a tough tournament; It will be about normal for Beaver Lake.”
Canterbury said he thinks 12 pounds a day would be a solid weight for most anglers during the event. He thinks the fish will be moving off of beds and starting to scatter out across Beaver, which could present a challenge for some anglers.
“I don’t expect them to be grouped up real big unless you find a shad spawn happening,” Canterbury said.
Canterbury predicted a solid topwater bait and said any walking bait, such as a Zara Spook or Jackall Mud Sucker, will be productive. He also said finesse fishing with shaky-head rigs could play a major factor during the tournament.
“It’s definitely going to be interesting to see how it plays out,” Canterbury said.
In FLW Tour competition, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Duluth/Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9-12 on Lake Lanier and anglers could win as much as $500,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors.
Anglers will take off from Prairie Creek Park located at 9300 N. Park Rd. in Rogers at 6:30 a.m. each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at Prairie Creek Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s final weigh-ins will be held at the John Q. Hammons Center located at 3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy. in Rogers beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the John Q. Hammons Center on Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. On Sunday the first 300 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a free rod and reel combo courtesy of US94 KAMO-FM Country. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a Can-Am ATV courtesy of KNWA. The ATV giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win
As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, select FLW Tour anglers will be working in conjunction with Project Footsteps, an organization whose mission is to inspire, empower and prepare young people and communities to be agents of change and social leaders in action. The anglers will assist in a “Get Power” Retreat where anglers will help assist children to campaign and organize themselves to take the lead to rid their communities and schools of bullying. The retreat will be April 25 from 8 a.m. to noon at Crossroads Extended Day School located at 2922 S. First St. in Rogers.
Coverage of the Beaver Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs June 3 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET. “FLW” is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.
ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game – FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.
Media Contact
Chad Gay, Director of Public Relations, (270) 703-3346 or cgay
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Submitted by admin on Wed, 2012-04-18 08:32. Fishing Tackle News
MINNETONKA, MiN – If anglers want to be part of the elite group recognized by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), they best tie on a Rapala.
Once again, Rapala lures caught more IGFA world records than any other lure manufacturer. For 2011, Rapala caught 19 of the registered IFGA catches, with Storm Lures – a member of the Rapala family of brands – hooking five IGFA chart toppers.
“Throughout the year, it’s always thrilling to hear about trophy catches from across the globe,” said Tom Mackin, president of Rapala USA. “Even more so is when they turn out to be a world record. But the most exciting fact is that year after year, Rapala lures are the most trusted and relied upon brand to make a world record happen.”
Rapala lures are responsible for more IGFA world records than any other lure manufacturer in history, holding world record catches on every continent except Antarctica. In fact, Rapala is the first and only lure manufacturer to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IGFA, proving just how effective its lures are on a global basis. All over the world, big fish are eating little fish that swim like a Rapala.
Other notable awards received by Rapala and Respected Rapala Brands include:
Rapala Scales: based on their durability, precision and most importantly, accuracy, these scales were the third most trusted brand, weighing 24 IGFA records.
Sufix Fishing Line: known for its superb handling, legendary strength and durability, Sufix Fishing Line was used to land five IGFA freshwater records.
“Each year, Rapala designs and produces lures that will catch more-and-bigger fish and we can’t wait to hear about the next record,” said Mackin.
Rapala was unofficially founded in 1936 when Lauri Rapala invented the Rapala fishing lure. Rapala has grown from humble beginnings to a market leader in the fishing tackle industry. The Rapala brand’s functionality and high quality are known by fishermen around the world. Rapala maintains its strict standards of craftsmanship while delivering its fishing products to anglers in more than 130 countries.
For more information on Rapala, please visit www.rapala.com or www.facebook.com/RapalaUSA.
Media Contact
Brian Anderson
Carmichael Lynch Spong
(612) 375-8514
brian.anderson
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