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Expect Shallow Bite and Finesse Fishing on Virginia’s Smith Mountain Lake for Bassmaster Elite Series’ Fourth Stop of Season

Moneta, Va. -(FishNLand.com)-
When the Bassmaster Elite Series pros arrive at Smith Mountain Lake for the April 23-26 Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl out of Moneta, Va., they will find markedly different conditions than those presented to them in 2007, when the Elite Series first visited. The anglers can expect pre-spawn and possibly spawning conditions on the crystal clear waters of the scenic 20,600-acre lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Smith Mountain, with more than 500 miles of shoreline, has been featured in four previous BASS events, the last of which was the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series event won by then-rookie Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C. Ashley made history as the youngest pro – he was 23 at the time – to win an Elite Series event. With less than an hour remaining in the final day of competition, Ashley boated two keepers on back-to-back casts. The weight of those two fish was enough to bring him victory with a four-day total of 57 pounds, 3 ounces, beating veteran Elite pro Terry Scroggins of San Mateo, Fla., by 2 pounds.

Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Blue Ridge Brawl on The Bassmasters, which airs Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN2. The daily weigh-ins for all regular-season Elite events and the two postseason events will air live on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, while a wealth of unique content will also be available at Bassmaster.com.

The Blue Ridge Brawl includes a top prize of $100,000 and awards valuable points in the 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year title race. With 813 points, 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, leads the AOY standings after the April 2-5 Evan Williams Bourbon Dixie Duel on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake. Trailing him are Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Ark., in second with 774 points, and Diamond Drive winner Mark Menendez of Paducah, Ky., in third with 761 points.

The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the two-event postseason, during which the Angler of the Year will be determined.

In the 2009 Rookie of the Year standings, Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., is in the lead with 626 points and an overall standing of 22nd in the AOY race. Greg Vinson of Wetumpka, Ala., is second with 565 points. He’s tied for 39th in the AOY standings.

Scroggins, who was successful in the 2007 event – a June competition in spawn and post-spawn conditions – with topwater fishing and shaky head rigs, figures to take a similar approach this time while acknowledging that the conditions will be different.

“There’ll be more sight-fishing, with the fish up shallow,” said Scroggins, who also worked a drop-shot to short structure in 2007. “And last time was the first time for most everyone. Now they’ve seen the lake, they’re more familiar with it. I’m looking forward to it; that lake offers a lot of fish but there’s a lot of pressure as well. I don’t think we’ll see 25-pound stringers.”

Scroggins said he thinks it will take 17 to 20 pounds a day to win the Blue Ridge Brawl. He expects swimbaits to play a big role in the competition, as well as finesse fishing, shaky head rigs and drop-shotting.

“This time we’ll fish closer to the bank, so the topwater deal might still be good,” he added. “It’s kind of a deep, clear lake and that kind of stuff excels, but I think finesse fishing’s going to be the way to go there. I’m sure there’ll be some who try going deep, but the guys who fish shallow I think will have more success.”

Ashley’s winning strategy in 2007 included working a Zoom Finesse worm in watermelon candy color to docks early in the day and later, a jig on rocky points on the main lake. His win and the season-opening victory that year by rookie Derek Remitz of Grant, Ala., marked the only two times in BASS history in which a rookie has won an Elite Series event.

Fans are encouraged to attend the Blue Ridge Brawl’s daily launches (7:15 a.m. ET) and weigh-ins (4 p.m.) Thursday through Sunday at Parkway Marina, 16918 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, Huddleston, Va. After Day Two’s competition Friday, the field will be cut to the top 50 anglers for Day Three. Only the top 12 will go on to compete in Day Four.

Other activities Saturday and Sunday at the Blue Ridge Brawl will begin at 1 p.m. ET at Parkway Marina, featuring the popular Dog Training & Retriever Demonstrations Brought To You By SportDog. The fun also includes a Saturday performance by local band Jordan Road, from 1:30-3 p.m.; a Bassmaster CastingKids event Saturday, hosted by the Virginia BASS Federation Nation; Skeeter boat demos; cooking demonstrations; and a beer garden from 1-4:15 p.m. both days.

At 1:30 p.m. Saturday, fans are invited to experience Bassmaster University, which includes the “Ask the Experts” session with Elite pros at 3 p.m.

Sunday’s activities include the live taping of Hooked Up, hosted by ESPN Outdoors personalities Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders. The show, which will air live at 3:30 p.m. ET on www.bassmaster.com, will preview Sunday’s final weigh-in.

All events at the Advance Auto Parts Blue Ridge Brawl are free and open to the public. Up next in the Elite Series is the May 7-10 Marine Formula STA-BIL Southern Challenge on Lake Guntersville out of Guntersville, Ala.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit Bassmaster.com. Visit ESPNMediaZone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video, audio clips and more.

Local sponsors of the Blue Ridge Brawl are Franklin and Bedford counties.

Official sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine

Supporting sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series: Bass Pro Shops, Costa Del Mar, Ramada, SpongeTech and Triton Boats.

About BASS

For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multimedia platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.

The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Academy Sports + Outdoors Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS annually sanctions more than 20,000 events.

BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

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AGFD To Show Quagga Mussel Spread In Lake Pleasant, Arizona

Lake Pleasant, Arizona - -(TheOutdoorWire.com)- Prolific quagga mussels have invaded Arizona’s waters and they are spreading fast. Lake Pleasant is no exception!

WHAT
Get a first-hand look at this aquatic nuisance as we pull a large moored boat encrusted with mussels out of the lake to show just how much the quagga can impact boat hulls, engine intakes, live-wells, bilges and water intake valves, costing boaters thousands of dollars.

Quagga mussel encrusted pipes (see photo for example – click for larger hi-res photo) will be on hand to demonstrate how these non-native invaders can impact water delivery systems such as canals, pipes, aqueducts and dams, ultimately hitting the pocket book of all water users.

WHEN
10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 16

WHERE
North Ramp – Pleasant Harbor Marina, Lake Pleasant

Directions:
Go north on I-17 to Carefree Highway. Head west on Carefree Highway/AZ-74 for approximately 7.5 miles to North 87th Ave./Pleasant Harbor Blvd. Turn RIGHT onto North 87th Ave./Pleasant Harbor Blvd. for 1.8 miles.
Turn LEFT onto W. Harbor Blvd. (gate access is required) for 0.2 miles – please advise entry gate you are media and are looking for the Game and Fish personnel at the “North Ramp”

WHO
Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists working closely with officials from Lake Pleasant Harbor and Marina will be on site. Salt River Project officials will also be on hand to talk about this species and why it is important to prevent their infestation in Arizona and the tri-state area.

Additional Information:

We will demonstrate an easy three-step method called “Clean, drain and dry” that officials are asking boaters and anglers to use before leaving lakes and rivers. This process will prevent the spread of mussels to other bodies of water that have not been infected by the species.

We invite the media to help us convey this important message. Event contacts are Rory Aikens at (623) 221-2664 or Kevin Bergersen (623) 236-7383.

About:
The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

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Commercial Fishermen Plead Guilty To Illegal Harvesting Of Rockfish

WASHINGTON, DC - -(FishNLand.com)- Two commercial fisherman pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to violations of the Lacey Act, the federal law that prohibits individuals from transporting, selling or buying illegally harvested fish, in this case striped bass or rockfish, the Justice Department announced.

Jerry Decatur Sr. of Stafford, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for illegally taking and over-harvesting striped bass. Additionally, Kenneth Dent of Dumfries, Va., pleaded guilty to a one count criminal information for trafficking illegally taken striped bass.

According to documents filed with the court, on at least 13 occasions between 2004 through 2007, Decatur Sr. illegally harvested more than 10,000 pounds of striped bass from the Potomac River. The commercial fisherman fished out of season, kept over-sized fish or used nets that violated applicable regulations. He then sold the catch to two fish wholesalers in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he failed to affix tags to the majority of the striped bass that he caught thereby exceeding their limit by thousands of pounds. In April and May 2003 through 2007, Decatur harvested more than 65,000 beyond his limit. The fair market retail value of the over- and illegally- harvested rockfish was in excess of $329,000.

According to the documents, on multiple occasions, Dent sold hundreds of pounds of rockfish that were illegally harvested or tagged to an undercover special agent with the Virginia Marine Police, who told Dent that the fish were being transported to Pennsylvania. On one occasion, Dent illegally harvested 400 pounds of fish from Virginia tributaries of the Potomac River and sold it to the undercover agent for $990. He knowingly tagged much of the fish with incorrect tags to exceed his limit of Virigina-caught fish. The majority of these fish were also not within the legal size limit. On a second occasion, Dent sold the undercover agent 430 pounds of rockfish for $1000 that were larger than the legal size limit. On a third occasion, he sold the agent 480 pounds of fish for $1,375. All of these fish were more than the legal size limit. The fair market retail value of the transactions was in excess of $5,000. Further Dent illegally sold the undercover agent 100 striped bass tags despite a prohibition against private sales.

Decatur Sr. and Dent both face maximum penalties of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years supervised release for the Lacey Act violations.

Today’s guilty pleas are the result of the investigation by an interstate task force formed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Maryland Natural Resources Police and the Virginia Marine Police, Special Investigative Unit in 2003. The task force conducted undercover purchases and sales of striped bass in 2003, engaged in covert observation of commercial fishing operations in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River area, and conducted detailed analysis of area striped bass catch reporting and commercial business sales records from 2003 through 2007. The investigation is continuing, and charges against others are possible.

As part of the investigation and prosecution to date, a total of 11 individuals and one company have been charged including today’s defendants. Nine of those have pleaded guilty to wildlife crimes for their involvement in illegally harvesting and trafficking in striped bass. Two fishermen, Joseph Peter Nelson Jr., of Great Mills, Md., and his father Joseph Peter Nelson, of Avenue, Md., are awaiting trial, and one other commercial fisherman is awaiting arraignment and entry of a plea.

Sentencing dates in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt for five Maryland fishermen who pleaded guilty in this case are listed below.

Thomas L. Hallock April 22, 2009 9:30 AM
Charles Quade April 27, 2009 9:30 AM
Thomas L. Crowder April 28, 2009 9:30 AM
John W. Dean April 30, 2009 9:30 AM
Keith A. Collins May 28, 2009 9:30 AM

Cannon Seafood, a Washington, D.C. fish wholesaler, its owner Robert Moore Sr. and his son Robert Moore Jr. are scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2009, at 9:30 AM in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacy Dawson Belf for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorney Wayne Hettenbach of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section.

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