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West Virginia Celebrates National Fishing And Boating Week June 6-14 Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14
Charleston, W.VA -(FishNland.com)- National Fishing and Boating Week 2009 will be highlighted by the 20th annual Free Fishing Weekend on June 13 and 14, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR). During these two days, residents and nonresidents can fish in West Virginia without a license.

“It is a great opportunity to remind people of the fun of fishing, especially with family and friends. If you already have a license, take someone fishing. It may be your children, spouse, or co-worker, and you will be introducing them to a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment,” said Jezioro.

The National Fishing and Boating Week concept began as a promotional activity sponsored by the sportfishing industry. With the hope of increasing tackle sales, the industry promoted fishing around Father’s Day. The recreational boating industry partnered with its sportfishing counterparts to develop an effective educational campaign.

From those beginnings, National Fishing and Boating Week has evolved into one of the largest private/public partnerships in existence. The sportfishing and boating industries, fishing organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies are working together to bring the message home that fishing is great fun and that healthy aquatic ecosystems are important.

DNR participates in a number of activities during National Fishing and Boating Week and the Free Fishing Weekend, said Jezioro.  Two of the largest and most successful events are the Bowden Fishing Derby held at the Bowden Hatchery in Randolph County and the Fishing Derby at Little Beaver State Park in Raleigh County.  These events will be held on June 13. Children receive basic fishing instruction and will get the opportunity to enjoy time fishing with friends and family.

There are other fishing events planned across the state.  Please contact the DNR district office closest to you for more information.

Filed under: Fishing Events, Politics of Fishing by FishNLand No Comments »

Five Ways To Celebrate National Fishing And Boating Week June 6-14

Alexandria, Va. -(FishNLand.com)- With National Fishing and Boating Week June 6-14, BoatUS has five easy ways to celebrate the week and inspire families and friends to head out for some fun fishing and safe boating:

1. Brush up on your fishing skills: From learning about fishing tactics, equipment and safety to advice and stories from pro anglers, BoatUSAngler.com has expert advice to help beginners start out right and keep experienced anglers at their peak. Click on “Fishing How-Tos” where you’ll also find information that will help you teach your kids about catch and release fishing and how to measure a fish.

2. Go fishing for free: In honor of this special week, many states offer one or more days where anglers won’t need a license to fish.  Go to TakeMeFishing.org website where you’ll find free fishing days and events in your area.

3. Make a fishing trip memorable for a child: Take a photo of your child with their catch and send it to the BoatU.S. Angler Catch of the Month Contest. Photos will be displayed on the association’s Web site, BoatUSAngler.com, and will also be entered into a monthly prize drawing.

4. Go window shopping: Boating is more affordable than you may think. Start dreaming and sign up for your free online copy of weekly BoatUS Classified Ads.  There are four separate weekly Classifed Ad E-Newsletters each for fishing boats, powerboats, trailerable boats and sailboats.

5. Go boating with the kids wearing the right life jackets:  Don’t worry if you want to take a bunch of kids boating and don’t have enough life jackets.  The BoatUS Foundation’s free Life Jacket Loaner Program for Kids offers free child and youth life jackets for the day or weekend at over 500 waterfront sites, boat clubs, businesses and fire houses.

About BoatUS Angler:
BoatUS Angler is a membership program from the nation’s largest association of recreational boaters whose mission is to protect the interests of boat-owning freshwater anglers, increase boating safety, provide consumer assistance and ensure fishing remains worry-free. For more information, go to BoatUSAngler.com or call 866-906-0013.

Filed under: Fish and Game, Fishing Boat News, Fishing Events by FishNLand No Comments »

World’S Best Anglers Gearing Up For 2009 FLW Tour Stop On Kentucky/Barkley Lakes

Free Family Fun Zone Opens at Noon on Saturday and Sunday, June 13 and 14

Benton, Ky. -(FishNLand.com)- The Walmart FLW Tour presented by Pringles will stop in Benton, Ky., June 11-14 for the fifth tournament of the 2009 season on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes that will feature anglers from across the United States, Mexico and Japan fishing for top awards of $125,000 cash in the Pro Division and $25,000 cash in the Co-angler Division.

“It’s a lot of fun to be home and fish every now and then, you know?” said Team National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr. of nearby Cadiz, Ky. Colson has racked up an incredible 21 top-10 FLW Outdoors finishes on Kentucky/Barkley Lakes. “The fish are moving out on the drops and I like to fish deep, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great tournament.”

Colson said the fish could be positioned on drops that range from eight to 14 feet deep on top of the ledges to depths of 25 feet. Baitfish collected on top or suspended on the drops will dictate which ledges hold fish and, as a result, which ledges anglers will target. Colson said when anglers locate fish, the best methods to get a bite will be a 5/8- or 3/4-ounce football-head jig dragged off of the top of the ledge or a deep-diving crankbait retrieved from a long cast. Colson said anglers will find best results with the boat sitting in deep water and casting toward shallow water, but Colson admitted the reverse is sometimes effective. Whatever the method, Colson predicts heavy weights will be the norm.

“It looks like it’s going to take 37 or 38 pounds to make the top-10 cut,” Colson said. “It could take 42 to 45 pounds the last two days to win it.

“I’m just thrilled to get to sleep in my own bed and have my family with me for this event,” Colson added. “This one is really going to be a lot of fun.”

Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday from the Kentucky Dam Marina located at 466 Marina Drive in Gilbertsville, Ky. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the Kentucky Dam Marina beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Regional Special Events Center at Murray State University located at 1401 State Route 121 North in Murray, Ky., beginning at 4 p.m.

In conjunction with the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, FLW Outdoors, who is being welcomed locally by Today’s 24 Carrot Country 93.3 WKYQ, will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Regional Special Events Center at Murray State University each day at noon. The Family Fun Zone offers fans a chance to meet their Fantasy Fishing team anglers face-to-face and review the latest products from Berkley, Lowrance, Ranger, Evinrude, Yamaha and other sponsors while children are treated to giveaways, fishing themed games and rides like the Ranger Boat simulator. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone on Sunday will receive a free rod and reel combo courtesy of WPSD Local 6 while supplies last. One lucky member of the audience will even win a new Ranger boat courtesy of The Paducah Sun that will be given away during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in Sunday, June 14. Admission is free, and you must be present to win.

In a partnership with Goodwill, FLW Outdoors invites you to drop off your clean, gently-used clothing and household materials at the Regional Special Events Center at Murray State University, June 13 and 14 starting at noon. In return, the first 500 to donate will receive a free BP die-cast boat, while supplies last. Donations will be sold at local Goodwill stores to help people with disabilities and other disadvantages receive job training and other important services.

In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The full field competes in the two-day opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

Coverage of the tournament, hosted by the Marshall County Tourist Commission and Murray Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, will be broadcast on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” will air Aug. 2 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.

The FLW Tour will award more than $8 million in cash to the world’s top bass anglers in 2009. Regular season competition includes three qualifiers and three opens. Each event takes anglers a step closer to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa. The prestigious championship and outdoor show hosted by VisitPittsburgh will feature 77 pros, 77 co-anglers and bass fishing’s largest cash award – a potential $1 million first-place prize for the winning pro.

About:

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

Filed under: Fishing Events, Fishing Tournament News by FishNLand No Comments »