New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Yesterday the Senate Environment and Energy Committee approved Senate Bill S1122, which requires the DEP to establish free recreational saltwater fishing registry.

The bill will now head to the full senate for a vote as early as Monday, December 13, 2011.

Voting in favor of the free registry were Senators: Gordon, Bateman, Beck, and Greenstein. Committee Chair, Senator Smith abstained for reasons of conscience stating that the costs of implementing the registry were not considered in the bill.

The vote brings New Jersey closer to meeting federal registry requirements established by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and avoiding a $15.00 federal registration fee. The salt water registry is a federally mandated data collection program intended to ensure sustainable fisheries based on the best available science. An Assembly version of the bill (A823) has already passed.

Last week the NJOA (CF) sent out a NMFS announcement that a $15 fee would be imposed on individual saltwater anglers as of January 1, 2011 for those not currently registered through the federal program or by coastal registrations from other states. Those having an active Highly Migratory Species permit are also exempt from needing to register.

Two representatives from NJ DEP requested the committee consider a $5.00 registry fee. NJOA (CF) Chairman, Anthony P. Mauro said, “For nearly a year we’ve been trying to get the DEP to give us a firm understanding of how they would comply with the federal mandate but today was the first glimpse of their position.”

Based on a consensus of its council the NJOA (CF) has been advocating a $2.00 registry fee to cover the costs of implementation. “As a practical matter, the council is not opposed to a free saltwater registry,” said Mauro. He continued, “Concerns center on whether the costs associated with implementing a saltwater registry will impact an already severely underfunded Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF). The devil is in the details. Bill sponsors Senator Beck and Senator Van Drew did not address this important aspect in their bill.”

In addition to saltwater anglers the NJOA (CF) council is composed of hunters and freshwater anglers. Mauro added, “These diverse interests force us to consider whether there are unexpected consequences to a free registry. We certainly don’t want to see the Division of Fish and Wildlife transfer funds from the sale of freshwater fishing licenses, hunting licenses, permits and stamps, and to free up monies for implementing a saltwater registry. In effect, this scenario would swap funds currently used for natural resource management to data management. If it were to happen it would be an unacceptable tradeoff.”

Pete Grimbilas, NJOA (CF) President, said, “An appropriation from the state to cover the costs would be one way to remedy our concerns and show respect for the nearly $2 billion in economic activity and 10,000 jobs generated by sportsmen and women. With a little creative thinking and use of technology perhaps the state can simply find a low cost method to fulfill registry obligations.”

The NJOA (CF) council will continue to work with other fishing groups and legislators to ensure a registry that improves the integrity of fisheries and benefits saltwater anglers.

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

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NJ Senate Committee Approves Free Fishing Registry

Michigan - -(FishNLand.com)- In an already outstanding tournament, Nate Wellman of Newaygo, Mich., put an exclamation mark on one of the most impressive performances of the 2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens season by landing a 22-15 limit on Saturday, the heaviest tally of the event.

Wellman was clearly dominant as the next closest competitor, Kyle Walling of Fisherville, Ky., finished in second by more than 15 pounds. Wellman had most of his limit by 9:00 this morning and spent the rest of the day helping his co-angler catch fish. For his win, Wellman takes home $27,000.

“I knew that if I could catch 10 pounds I’d be doing pretty well, and if I caught 12 pounds I’d have it sealed,” he said. “But today (Saturday) was just unbelievable. My goal going into this season was to make the Elite Series, and I have that wrapped up.”

Wellman, who finished third and locked up an Elite Series berth, stuck to his deeper water bite Saturday and with the tide being extra-low, it was better than any of the previous days.

“I knew that if I was going to win this thing, it would be from that one spot,” Wellman said referring to a sunken log surrounded by chunky gravel and rocks. “The tide was so low today that it sucked all the fish from the surrounding flats into it and I hammered them.”

His go-to bait was a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog in black and blue, but he also lobbed a Zoom Trick Worm in bama bug to upgrade his catch. The key for him was to work the baits extremely slowly, sometimes moving it only three or four inches at a time.

“The bites were really subtle and they almost felt like bluegill tapping it,” said Wellman. “Sometimes I had to let them take it and eat it for 10 seconds before I’d hammer them.”

Walling made a hard charge – ultimately not enough – to the top on Day 3, toting 15-3 to the scales for a total of 37-14. In third was Elite Series pro Pat Golden of High Point, N.C., with a three-day total of 34-12. In fourth was Darin Doll of York, Pa., with 34-4 and in fifth was Donald Haskins of Rosedale, Md., with 32-12.

On the co-angler side, Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., will add another boat to his garage. For his win, he will take home a Triton 18XS with a 150-horsepower Mercury outboard. Bae won the 2009 Bassmaster Northern Open on Chesapeake Bay and took home a boat for that win as well.

“I just wanted a chance to be competitive here, and to win a second time is great, I’m speechless,” Bae said as he was awarded his trophy.

Bae, who had a three-day total of 17-8, relied on a 4-inch Roboworm on a drop shot rig that he tossed adjacent to grassbeds along the shore. Behind Bae was Mike McDonald of Randleman, N.C., who managed to retain the second place position despite not catching any fish today. His total was 15-12. In third was Jess Salmon of Milford, N.J., with 15-5.

In the race for Bassmaster Classic berths, Ryan Said of Michigan took the Bassmaster Northern Open points championship and was awarded his first Classic berth. Additionally, Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C., finished second and took a Classic berth. The first seven competitors in the points standings earned Elite Series berths. The full standings can be found below.

Other Opens Classic competitors and Elite Series potentials will be named after the final stops of the Central and Southern divisions, both of which wrap up in October.

Daily results and photo galleries are available at Bassmaster.com. Full standings can be found on Bassmaster.com.

The event host is the Cecil County Office of Economic Development & Tourism, http://www.ccgov.org/tourism.

• Bassmaster Open Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
• Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha
• Bassmaster Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats and Triton Boats

About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.

The Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPN3.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.

BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.

BASS 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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Michigan’s Nate Wellman Takes Chesapeake Bay Bassmaster Northern Open

Muskie Moment Thomas Aquinas Daly

Sporting Classics Magazine

Columbia, SC --(FishNLand.com)- A few years ago my wife suggested I find a cottage “Up North,” as we say in Wisconsin, where we could spend a week’s vacation in midsummer.

It had to be on a lake, of course, and it had to have that woodsy, rustic character that all the cottages we remember from our youth seemed to have, but distressingly few have today.

For once I got lucky. Other than deciding to focus on the Boulder Junction area – a.k.a., “The Muskie Capital of the World” – it was sheer serendipity that led us to Lynx Lake, and to the homey cottage nestled there among the birches, pines and cedars.

The place was everything we’d hoped it would be and more, from the eagles that wheeled in the sky by day to the loons whose haunting cries pierced the night – and the best place on the whole lake to fish for smallmouth bass was the long, narrow reef that parallels the shore about a hundred yards out.

That, too, was a happy accident. In my several conversations with the cottage’s owner, I didn’t mention fishing once. I swear.

The cottage rental included use of the dock, along with a little aluminum boat and a pair of oars. On evenings when the weather was fair and the winds were light, I liked to row out after supper and peck my way down the reef with deerhair bugs. The hour before dusk is a magical time to fish for smallmouth, and a smallie exploding on a bug – the sight, sound and feel of it – is one of those pleasures I can never get enough of. Like the roar of a ruffed grouse breaking cover, you’re never truly prepared for it. It reduces your wits to pudding, and I love it.

The first time I fished the reef, I was anchored at the far end, fanning casts across the cannonball boulders that tumble into the deep water, when I attracted the attention of some people enjoying sundowners on the deck of their cottage.

“Hey, look at that guy fly fishing!” somebody exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

“It’s just like in that movie, A River Runs Through It,” a different voice piped up.

I don’t know about that, but at least my casting’s recognizable as the same basic motion. I have an old Scott rod that’s a joy to fish – a model they don’t make any more – and because I never approached these after-dinner outings with high expectations, the chance to spend an hour or so throwing a line was pretty satisfying all by itself.

Once in a while, I even caught a bass.

That boulder field at the far end of the reef, in fact, was the honey hole. I was slinging a chartreuse Dahlberg Slider when I hooked one of the hardest-fighting smallmouth I’ve ever tangled with. I realize that’s like saying “one of the hottest days in equatorial Africa,” but I think you get the point.

The take was gentle – the big ones will fool you like that on occasion, sucking the bug off the top instead of detonating on it – but when I reared back on the rod, whatever was on the other end didn’t budge. And when it catapulted out of the water, torquing in mid-air before crashing down in a geyser of spray, I knew, with as much certainty as I knew anything, that I was going to have my hands full.

The jumps take your breath away, but it’s those bulldogging, boring-for-the-bottom rushes that wear you out. This bass didn’t have an ounce of quit; gaining line on it was about as easy as dragging a refrigerator up a flight of stairs. Then, when I finally felt I had the upper hand, the fish surprised me with one last, desperate lunge and wrapped the leader around the anchor line. I was using a pretty stout tippet, though, so when it became clear that my only recourse was to haul up the anchor and hope for the best, everything held.

The bass taped 18 inches – a good smallmouth anywhere, and a really good one, I thought, for a resort lake that boasts no particular reputation as a fishing hotspot. After the release, I had to wait a while for my rod hand to unclench – and for the throbbing in my forearm to subside – before I was ready to row back. The loons were beginning to tune up by then, and when I looked over my shoulder to get my bearings, the lights from our little cottage seemed like warm golden beacons in the gathering darkness.

We returned to the cottage every summer for several years, and I always managed to catch a few nice bass. But then came a summer when I couldn’t buy a fish. Oh, I picked up a small one here and there, but the honey hole had gone sour. I threw every bug in my box, even tried dredging with Clousers and Woolly Buggers, but I couldn’t drum up any business. I was mystified.

Well, if you’ve fished the north country much, it’s likely you’ve already solved the mystery. The reason I wasn’t catching bass is they weren’t there, and the reason the bass weren’t there is that an “undesirable element” had moved into the neighborhood.

The sun was melting into the skyline pines by the time I got to the far end of the reef, and the whisper of breeze ruffling the surface gave it the look of a sheet of hammered copper. I was throwing a yellow Dahlberg Diver when suddenly my antennae went up. There was something different about the water behind the fly. It was hard to put a finger on it, exactly, but it was almost as if it was vibrating. I was familiar with the concept of “nervous water,” but while I understood its implications on a bonefish flat, I was a little unclear about what it might mean on Lynx Lake in northern Wisconsin.

I had a hunch, though. And when that vague disturbance resolved into a wake vectoring straight at the Dahlberg, all doubt fell away.

It was over before it started. There was a ga-womph! like the sound of an aircraft carrier being launched, a washtub-sized hole appeared in the water where the bug used to be. The rod was nearly ripped from my hand . . . and then it snapped back like the limb of a bow when the muskie razored the leader and the whole shebang went sickeningly limp.

I was tempted to utter an obscenity, just on general principle, but I was instantly resigned to this outcome. You don’t show up at a gunfight with a peashooter, and you don’t stay attached to a muskie with a 12-pound mono tippet. I suppose if you hooked it in precisely the right spot you might have a chance – about the same chance you’d have of walking barefoot through broken glass without spilling blood.

The ironic thing was that I’d spent a sizable amount of time in the previous decade or so specifically trying to catch a muskie on a fly – and failing spectacularly. In fact, I’d made a conscious decision that very spring to give it up, having concluded there are a lot more enjoyable and interesting ways not to catch fish.

But now the landscape had changed. Here was a muskie demonstrably willing to eat a fly, so why not take another hour out of my life and give it a shot? These twilight excursions were stolen moments anyway – I was on a family vacation, remember, not a fishing trip – and it seemed to me that failing to act on this revelation would be like ignoring a visible sign from God.

I gave the fish a couple days to lick its wounds; then, on the last night of our vacation, I rowed back out to the far end of the reef. But this time I was armed with a wire bite tippet and a 1/0 chartreuse Mega Diver, a fly that resembles a small parrot. The necessity of heaving ungainly patterns like this goes a long way toward explaining why I’d given up serious fly fishing for muskies; after a couple days of it, it’s all you can do to close your claw-like casting hand around a bottle of beer and tremblingly raise it to your parched and swollen lips.

It was a lovely evening, mild and still, the colors of sky and sunset pooling on the mirrored surface as if they’d dripped from the brush of Van Gogh. Casting the Mega Diver was a chore, but soon I found a rhythm: pick up, false cast, haul, grunt, haul, grunt, shoot. It wasn’t pretty, but I was covering the water. And because I fully expected the muskie to show itself at any instant, I was laser-focused on each and every glugging retrieve.

Or at least I was until I realized it was growing dark, and that I’d whipped about five acres of water to a froth without getting so much as a half-hearted follow – a bitter microcosm of all the years I’d devoted to this feckless and quixotic enterprise.

I was about to reel up when a thought popped into my head. That very afternoon we’d visited the local historical museum, which has a wonderful exhibit on the area’s old-time rowing guides: photos, tackle (it’s deeply impressive to see a plug the size of a fungo bat and realize that the damage inflicted on it – as if it’d been attacked by a hatchet – is the result of muskies that shook it like a bone), enormous mounted muskies, even several achingly beautiful wooden guideboats.

What you have to understand is that in this part of the world where muskies “built the schools” thanks to the dollars spent by anglers, motor-trolling has always been considered roughly equivalent to sleeping with your best friend’s wife. It may be acceptable in such Gomorrahs as Minnesota, New York and Ontario, but in Wisconsin, where the architects of tradition staked out the moral high ground, it you want to troll for muskies, you row.

This isn’t just the custom; it’s the law.

There’s probably no defensible biological basis for it, and it’s always seemed faintly ironic to me, in this context, that the man who invented the outboard motor, Ole Evinrude, was a Wisconsinite. (According to legend, he was inspired by a dish of ice cream that melted before he could deliver it via rowboat to a girl he was courting.)

So with all this history fresh in mind, it occurred to me that I had nothing to lose by row-trolling back to the dock. I could follow the reef almost all the way, and when you’re dealing with as unpredictable a fish as the muskie, there’s a lot to be said for simply keeping your fly in the water for as long as you can.

I settled into a leisurely cadence with the oars, the Mega Diver chugging along about 70 feet behind. The handle of the rod was on the seat next to me, with the tip balanced on the transom. Someone had a bonfire going on the beach; I could smell the woodsmoke from a distance, and as I drew closer I could see the faces of parents and children, illuminated by the dancing flames.

At the near end of the reef it humps up into a tiny island, little more than a blister of rock with a few scrubby birches and cedars. I was about to make the turn for the dock, but at the last moment decided that since I’d come this far, I might as well go the extra 50 yards and bend around the drop-off at the island’s tip.

I glanced inshore to check my position, heard a scraping noise, and turned to see my prized Scott rod doing a swan dive off the stern. I’ve done a fair amount of fishing in my life, wet my line in Labrador and Alaska, Belize and the Northwest Territories, but never in my angling career have I experienced such comprehensive disbelief. The part I couldn’t believe wasn’t that I was about to lose my favorite rod, but that my half-baked plan had actually worked. The spirits of the rowing guides, some of whom undoubtedly fished this very lake, must have been with me.

I made a frantic grab for the rod, and my first impression, as the line came tight, was that the fly had snagged bottom. But then I felt the heavy, purposeful throb that is the signature of a good fish. It stayed deep, fighting against the pressure, taking line with short, surging runs; every muskie reacts differently, so there was no telling its size. After a couple minutes of slugging it out, it changed tactics and planed toward the surface, the line sawing the water as it rose. Knowing what was coming, I reminded myself to bow to the leap.

But when the fish went airborne, all I could do was stare, dumbfounded. My muskie had morphed into a giant smallmouth!

A 20-incher, to be precise. It was thick through the back, deep in the belly and hard as a slab of marble, with dark vertical bars striping its flanks and eyes as red and glowering as a goshawk’s. I’ve caught a couple smallmouth that were bigger, but for reasons that I hope are at least partially obvious, I’ve never caught a more memorable one.

I wondered what I’d do for an encore, but the problem was solved for me. The property got sold, and the new owner, in what’s become a familiar pattern, razed the cottage to make way for a palatial summer home. It’s a funny thing, but since then we’ve had no desire to look for another place to rent Up North. I guess we were more attached to the little cottage than we knew.

Or maybe it’s just that we know we could never get that lucky again.

Sporting Classics Magazine

About:
Sporting Classics is the magazine for discovering the best in hunting and fishing worldwide. Every page is carefully crafted, through word and picture, to transport you on an unforgettable journey into the great outdoors.

Travel to the best hunting and fishing destinations. Relive the finest outdoor stories from yesteryear. Discover classic firearms and fishing tackle by the most renowned craftsmen. Gain valuable knowledge from columns written by top experts in their fields: gundogs, shotguns, fly fishing, rifles, art and more.

From great fiction to modern-day adventures, every article is complemented by exciting photography and masterful paintings. This isn’t just another “how to” outdoor magazine. Come. Join us! Visit: www.sportingclassics.net

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Muskie Moment

Muskiesinc.org

Lake Hopatcong, NJ --(FishNLand.com)- If you would like to learn how to catch muskies and at the same time support New Jersey’s musky fisheries program, you don’t want to miss this year’s Musky School on Lake Hopatcong offered by Muskies Inc.!

Learn how to catch these elusive fish from seasoned, veteran musky anglers, who are donating their time and expertise for this event. This class offers the information, tips and techniques that will help both beginner and experienced musky anglers catch more muskies.

In the morning, classroom-style sessions will cover locations to fish, forage base, lure presentations, fishing tactics and more. Later in the day, participants will be on the water in a fully-equipped boat to pursue muskies with a personal instructor. This six-hour course includes a shore lunch. This is a catch and release event.

At Musky School, you will learn:
* Seasonal musky patterns and lure presentations
* Proper fishing gear selection – rods, reels, leaders and line
* How to land, handle and properly release musky

Fee: $300

Contact Kevin via e-mail at
johnsonke@optonline.net
Or by phone (201) 563-2554

For more info visit web sites
www.mi22.com and www.MuskiesInc.org

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Muskies Inc. Musky School – May 15 at Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC – -(FishNLand.com)- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, along with its partners in the U.S. Recreational Fishing & Boating Coalition, submitted formal comments Friday to the White House Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, voicing the concerns of recreational boating and angling interests.

The “Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning” is the second document released by the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force which was created by President Obama last June to develop a draft national policy and implementation strategy for conserving and managing the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the coasts of the United States.

In the first draft policy report, the “Interim Report of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force”, released on September 17, the Task Force failed to include specific issues of concern to the recreational fishing and boating communities, in spite of a summer meeting with the Task Force and a written submission from the coalition.

The groups’ comments, submitted to Ms. Nancy Sutley, chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, clearly define the importance of recreational angling and boating to the national economy and our nation’s social fabric.

“Some of the potential policy implications of the this Interim Framework have the potential to be a real threat to recreational anglers who not only contribute billions of dollars to the economy and millions of dollars in tax revenues to support fisheries conservation, but who are also the backbone of the American fish and wildlife conservation ethos,” said CSF President Jeff Crane.

Among numerous other concerns is the development a top-down federal approach to ocean management that would impact every sector and every ocean activity. This new structure is built on vague or unspecified statutory authority, without input from Congress, and does not appropriately recognize the role of the states, which have the primary jurisdiction for resident fish and wildlife.

Given the scope of economic, conservation, and social contributions of recreational fishing and boating, it is imperative that any national ocean policy encourage, promote and celebrate recreational activities in the marine and freshwater environments. This can only be achieved if the policy and the implementation of marine spatial planning provide for access to marine areas for recreation and the opportunities for angling.

“There are over 1 million jobs in America supported coast to coast by recreational fishing. The Task Force has not included any accountability requirements in their reports for evaluating or mitigating how the new policies they are drafting will impact the fishing industry or related economies,” said Phil Morlock, CSF Board Member and Director of Environmental Affairs for Shimano. “Given that the scope of this process appears to include a new set of policies for all the coastal and inland waters of the United States, the omission of economic considerations is inexcusable.”

Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) member Rep. Adam Putnam and CSC House Co-Chair Rep. Dan Boren sent a letter to Ms. Sutley in November, urging inclusion of the recreational fishing community in the formation of a proposed new ocean governance structure.

“Inclusion of the recreational fishing community in this effort could greatly assist the task force’s stated objectives,” said Rep. Boren. “They should welcome the participation of recreational anglers and seek their support in ensuring the conservation, maintenance, and restoration of our nation’s oceans and lakes.”

About:
We can have the best wildlife habitat imaginable and a record number of people who buy fishing and hunting licenses, but it won’t matter if misguided laws and regulations are made at the federal and state levels that negatively impact our outdoor traditions. Keeping sportsmen’s issues front and center is what the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation does. Day in and day out, our sole focus is on providing a voice for sportsmen in the political arena. Serving as the first line of defense in protecting America’s outdoor traditions as well as promoting the sportsmen’s agenda through the collective muscle of sportsmen’s caucuses.

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CSF and Fishing-Boating Partners Voice Recreational Angling Concerns To White House Task Force

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today welcomed the appointment of Eric Schwaab as assistant administrator for fisheries for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Schwaab, who in his new position will oversee management and conservation of marine fisheries and marine mammals, sea turtles and coastal fisheries habitat within the U.S. economic zone, has a long history of partnership with the TRCP in attaining goals important to the sportsmen-conservation community.

Schwaab’s career spans more than 25 years’ involvement in resource management at the local, state and federal levels.

As resource director for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, he co-chaired the TRCP Marine Conservation Working Group and was instrumental in bolstering the interests of angler-conservationists in the 2007 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which governs marine fisheries management in federal waters. Schwaab comes to NOAA from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, where he was deputy secretary, and has served as a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.

“Having worked with Eric Schwaab on fisheries issues over the years, I am confident he will bring a common-sense approach, open mind and collaborative spirit to this important position,” said Tom Sadler, who oversees the TRCP’s marine fisheries initiative. “The TRCP looks forward to continuing to partner with Eric as we seek to ensure effective management and conservation of America’s unique marine resources and recreational opportunities.”

In a statement announcing Schwaab’s appointment, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator, called him a “creative and proven manager, consensus builder and leader” and said that his experience and leadership will “bring a fresh perspective to the management of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.”

The NMFS is charged with protecting and preserving the nation’s marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, law enforcement and habitat conservation. Schwaab will begin work in his new position on Feb. 16.

“The recreational angling community greatly valued the leadership of Eric Schwaab as we labored toward reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” said Jim Martin, TRCP board chairman and conservation director of the Berkley Conservation Institute. “We also appreciated his leadership in the development of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

“Dedicated sportsmen like Eric hold the key to sustaining citizens’ abilities to speak up and improve management of our natural resources,” Martin concluded, “and we at the TRCP anticipate future opportunities to work with Eric and NOAA to achieve these common goals.”

Learn more about the TRCP’s work to conserve America’s marine recreational fishing resources.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

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TRCP Lauds Appointment to Key Federal Fisheries Post

West Virginia DNR

West Virginia - -(FishNLand.com)- The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources has updated the West Virginia Sport Fish Consumption Advisory for 2010. DHHR partners with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources to develop consumption advisories for fish caught in West Virginia.

Fish consumption advisories are updated each year to help West Virginia anglers and their families make educated choices about eating the fish they catch.

The 2010 advisory is the result of reviewing recent fish tissue data and re-analysis of historical data. Improved data analysis methodology to isolate fish from specific water known to have higher concentrations of contaminants have resulted in less restrictive statewide advisories in some species and additional stricter advisories for specific waters. The only change to the current advisory is as follows: The advisory limiting consumption of channel catfish, all sizes, caught from the Monongahela River has been removed. The 2010 statewide consumption advisory for Channel Catfish should be followed.

The 2010 advisories can be reviewed at www.wvdhhr.org/fish, obtained from DHHR or found in the 2010 DNR fishing regulations.

Low levels of chemicals like PCBs, mercury, selenium and dioxin have been found in some fish from certain waters. An advisory is advice and should not be viewed as law or regulation. It is intended to help anglers and their families decide where to fish, what types of fish to eat, how to limit the amount and frequency of fish eaten and how to prepare and cook fish to reduce contaminants.

Women of childbearing age, children and people who regularly eat fish are particularly susceptible to contaminants that build up over time. Individuals falling into one of these categories should be especially careful to follow the guidelines.

This advisory covers only sport fish caught in West Virginia waters. Safety regulations and advisories for fish in the marketplace are the responsibility of the United States Food and Drug Administration. More information can be found at

www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110591.htm

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2010 Sport Fish Consumption Advisories Announced

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(FishNLand.com)- Ice fishing can be a great way to beat cabin fever and it can be one of the best times of the year to catch fish. However, to take advantage of ice fishing opportunities some gear is essential to make the experience comfortable and productive.

Never venture out onto the ice until it is certain that the ice is a safe thickness.

Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, has the following recommendations for essential ice-fishing equipment:

Clothing – There are a number of pac boots available that have removable liners and are rated for temperatures well below zero. Spend as much money as you can afford on a good pair of boots because you will be standing on the ice.

There are a variety of hats that will keep your head and ears warm; consider a fur hat — nothing beats fur for warmth and style.

The key to staying warm is layering. Begin with a base layer of silk or synthetic underwear and add layers. Wool garments provide excellent insulation and will maintain warmth even when damp. Outer layers may include sweat shirts and jackets covered by heavy parkas, bibs or coveralls. Carry at least a couple pairs of gloves or mittens. Remove layers during periods of activity to avoid sweating and add layers back on during periods of inactivity.

Safety – The best tool for checking ice thickness is an ice chisel or spud bar that may be used to strike the ice and evaluate ice conditions. Commercial or homemade ice picks should be worn around your neck in case the worst happens and you need something to grip the ice and pull yourself out of the water.

Try ice creepers or ice cleats; they are great for keeping you on your feet. Wearing a life jacket is a good idea until you are sure the ice is safe. All ice anglers should have a long piece of rope in case of emergency.

Ice Holes – A spud bar may be used to make holes in the ice, but ice augers make the job easier. Hand augers are relatively inexpensive and would be the best investment for beginning ice anglers. The most important thing about ice augers is to keep the blades sharp. Purchase an extra set of blades to ensure you have at least one set of sharp blades on every trip.

Once a person is ready to make a greater investment in ice-fishing equipment, gas-powered augers make the job even easier. An ice skimmer is essential for scooping ice chunks from holes.

Rods and Reels, Hooks and Bait – Beginners may use their open-water fishing rods and reels. Specialized, shorter, ice fishing rods allow anglers to sit closer to their ice holes while they are fishing. There are a variety of ice-fishing rods on the market, or anglers can manufacture their own using broken open-water rods.

Think small and light for most ice-fishing tackle. Fish metabolism rates are slower during the winter so light lines with relatively small hooks, jigs or spoons tipped with wax worms or maggots are the best ice-fishing tools for most species of fish.

Borrow a child’s sled to haul your equipment onto the ice. Use heavier lines and larger baits for pike and other large predator fish.

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Choose Proper Equipment When Ice Fishing

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(FishNLand.com)- Controlled trout-fishing opportunities on Cold Creek, one of Ohio’s most unique streams, again await fishing enthusiasts who enter a special lottery conducted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

A half-mile section of the creek, located at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery in Erie County, will again be open to a limited number of anglers on selected dates between March 29 and October 29 next year. Anglers interested in fishing the stream must submit an application form and a non-refundable $5 application fee between December 1, 2008 and January 31, 2009 in order to be eligible for the random drawing. Application forms can be obtained by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. Save money by applying online at www.wildohio.com for only $3 per application.

Only one application is allowed per person. Application information can be obtained from the ODNR Division of Wildlife Web site wildohio.com or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE.

There will be two seasons: one for adults (March 29 through June 3 and August 23 through October 29), and one for youths age 16 and under (June 7 through August 20). Approximately 90 adult and 50 youth permits will be issued. Individuals selected to participate will be allowed to bring two adults and three youths under the age of 16 (no more than six people total). Participation is determined by a computer-generated random drawing, which is held in early March. Successful applicants will be notified by mail of their fishing dates. Applicants not chosen will not be notified.

Special fishing rules will be in effect for this event to ensure that a quality fishing experience is maintained throughout the season. One of these special rules prohibits catch-and-release fishing, with wildlife officials requiring that anglers keep all fish they catch. The daily bag limit will be five trout per angler.

Anglers will be required to check in at the hatchery upon arrival and check out at the end of their session. Fishing sessions will be open from 7 a.m. to noon. Anglers age 16 and older will need a valid 2009 Ohio fishing license.

An Ohio resident annual fishing license costs $19; a one-day fishing license costs $11. Those who purchase a one-day fishing license may later return it to a license agent to receive credit toward purchase of an annual fishing license.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

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2010 Trout Fishing Opportunities Await Anglers at State’s Castalia Fish Hatchery

POMA

POMA Chairman Chris Chaffin spent several days networking with fishing industry executives at the recent American Sportfishing Association (ASA) Sportfishing Summit. Chaffin provided industry executives with information on POMA’s Fishing Industry Outreach Program and discussed ways POMA, ASA, which is a POMA Corporate Partner member, and industry leaders can work together to achieve mutually beneficial goals.

Chaffin also participated in the ASA’s Communications Committee meetings during which several suggestions on how POMA and ASA might work together were discussed.

“POMA’s program has drawn attention among industry executives,” Chaffin acknowledged, “But, POMA was most encouraged by the opportunity to determine what it can do to make its program even more valuable to the fishing industry.”

“ASA has been a long-standing member of POMA. We look forward to partnering with the organization to ensure the fishing story is told fairly and accurately and to ensure the future of this American Heritage sport.”

POMA’s Fishing Industry Outreach Committee, led by Kurt Beckstrom of North American Fisherman magazine, is also actively working on projects to bring more fishing industry media and industry professionals into the organization and to promote increased POMA member participation at ASA’s ICAST Show.

POMA is also the only outdoor journalists organization to show its support of the industry through ASA membership.

About:
The American Sportfishing Association is the sportfishing industry’s trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community. Sportfishing Summit Report

About:
The Professional Outdoor Media Association is a group of individual communicators and Corporate Partners who believe in, defend, support and promote the heritage of hunting, fishing, shooting and traditional outdoor sports through writing, photography and other means. By doing so, members hope to educate the general public about these sports and encourage more participation in them. The organization serves the membership by helping members grow professionally, improve their skills, better their working environments and enhance their businesses.

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Fishing Industry Offers Enthusiastic Support

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council - -(FishNLand.com)- Federal oceans administrator Jane Lubchenco is making changes on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council, replacing fishermen who have represented three states with new members who have connections to environmental causes.

Christopher J. Zeman, a River Vale attorney who represented the environmental group Oceana on issues including sea turtles and their interactions with the scallop fleet, was named by the Department of Commerce to replace Edward Goldman, a recreational angler from Absecon whose term on the council expired this year. Each year about this time the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration led by Lubchenco names members to the eight regional fishery councils based on nominations submitted by state governors.

For a New York State seat, Laurie Nolan, a commercial tilefish boat owner from Montauk, is being replaced with Peter Schafer, director of retail operations at the Wild Edibles fish stores in New York City. Schafer has promoted selling sustainable fish in those high-end outlets, and worked with writer and activist Carl Safina’s Long Island-based Blue Ocean Institute to distribute shopping guides that tell consumers how their seafood choices affect the marine environment.

For a Virginia seat, Peter L. deFur, a professor at Virginia Commonmwealth University’s Center for Environmental Studies is replacing angler Jeff Deem. DeFur is a wildlife toxicologist who works on risk assessment and coastal restoration issues, and has served on the Board of the Science and Environmental Health Network and as president of the Association for Science in the Public Interest.

Environmental groups have long contended the federal system of eight regional councils is dominated by people with direct economic and personal stakes in fisheries issues, and have pressed NOAA to broaden the pool of nominees. In the 1990s, Safina became the first Mid-Atlantic council member from an environmental background to serve a three-year term.

Lubchenco, a professor and noted marine ecologist from Oregon State University, was tapped by President Obama this year to lead NOAA. She has had ties to the Pew Environmental Trusts, and the appointment aroused unease from fishing advocates who have tangled with their Pew counterparts over fishing limits and catch restrictions.

But on the New England front – scene of America’s most intractable fishing problems – Lubchenco is not making big changes at the regional council. Four incumbent members have been renamed to new terms, along with newcomer Glen A. Libby from the Port Clyde commercial fishermen’s cooperative in Maine.

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office.
NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

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Environmentalists Replace Conservationists on Mid-Atlantic Regional Fishery Management Council

Umatilla, Ore.

“We’re excited to be in a new venue and honored to bring the first big bass fishing event in Oregon to the tremendous fishery that is the Columbia River,” said SFC Frank O’Laughlin.

“I think there will be some fish just getting off the spawn,” said National Guard pro Brent Ehrler. “Lots of fish will be caught.”

Ehrler said anglers will find bass with a variety of techniques – including using a spinnerbait for shallow fish. However, Ehrler said the Columbia River tends toward slower methods.

“It’s the Columbia River,” Ehrler said. “You can’t go wrong with the Carolina rig or a drop-shot rig.”

Anglers will take off from Umatilla Marina and RV Park located at 1710 Quincy in Umatilla at 6:30 each morning. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Umatilla Marina and RV Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 1350 N 1st St. in Hermiston beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.

The entire field competes for the first three days of FLW Series events. Co-angler winners are determined on day three based on the heaviest accumulated three-day weight. The top 10 professionals continue competition on day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

In FLW Series 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 total purse for the Lake Eufaula tournament is nearly $900,000, including $10,000 through 50th place in the Pro Division. Ultimately, all anglers in the tournament will also be competing for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at advancing to the $2.5 million 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.

Coverage of the Columbia River FLW Series tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) 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 p.m. 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.

Total awards are based on a full field of 150 boats in every tournament.

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 also 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.

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FLW Outdoors, National Guard Team Up To Bring $7.1 Million Walmart FLW Series To Columbia River

The gate to the access site, on the northeast shore of the 472-acre lake, will be locked to all entry 7:30 a.m. Monday, June 22, and will not be re-opened until 7:30 a.m. Thursday, June 25. Signs about the temporary closure will be posted at the site.

The new dock is being installed between two boat ramps to facilitate boat launching and retrieval. The fishing pier, which will be accessible by disabled persons, will provide safe shoreline access for anglers without boats and serve as a wildlife viewing platform. The work is the final phase of a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant-funded project that began last year.

Silver Lake is located one mile east of the town of Medical Lake on the south side of the Medical Lake-Four Lakes Road. Open year-round, it is especially popular in spring and summer with anglers looking for tiger muskie, largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, and brown and rainbow trout. A private resort on the north shore also provides access to the lake.

About:
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating the state’s fish and wildlife resources. The department operates under a dual mandate from the Washington Legislature to:

* Protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats.
* Provide sustainable, fish- and wildlife-related recreational and commercial opportunities.

Department policy is guided by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission composed of nine citizen members appointed by the Governor. Department operations are led by a Director and an Executive Management Team. The Director is appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The department is headquartered in Olympia and operates six regional offices throughout the state.

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Spokane County’S Silver Lake Access Site Closed June 22-24

Suction dredge operating in the clear water of the Salmon River (a Klamath tributary). Murky sediment plumes cloud the river for long distances downstream.

SB 670 contains an urgency clause that allows it to go into effect immediately upon the governor’s signing. It will go next to the Appropriations Committee then on to a full vote in the Assembly soon. Dozens of Tribes, conservation organizations, and commercial fishermen support the bill.

California’s taxpayers heavily subsidize the state’s suction dredge permit program through the California Department of Fish and Game. The state spends $1.25 million more per year on the permit program than it receives in permit fees, amounting to a $400 subsidy for each of the 3,200 miners that obtain permits.

Scott Harding, Executive Director of Klamath Riverkeeper said, “It is heartening to see such strong support for SB 670 in both the Senate and Assembly. This bill helps address the dramatic decline of California’s fisheries and promotes equality by no longer allowing a small group of hobby miners to harm the state’s important commercial fisheries and tourism economies that rely on clean, healthy rivers.”

Suction dredge mining takes place directly in river and stream channels using a floating, gas-powered vacuum coupled to a sluice box. The miner, sometimes with the aid of SCUBA gear, vacuums sediment, gravel, and small rocks from the river bottom. This material is then run through a mechanized sluice on the floating platform. Gold flakes are separated from the sediment, which is spit back into the river in long, murky plumes.

Suction dredging represents a chronic and unnatural disturbance to the river and is known to harm fisheries, aquatic habitat, and degrade water quality. It can stir up leftover mercury pollution from historical mining activity and reintroduce it into the food chain, creating a public health problem. Depending on size, location and density of these machines they can turn a clear running mountain stream into a murky watercourse unfit for swimming and destroy salmon spawning habitat.

Recreational mining businesses and prospecting clubs, such as the New 49’ers in Happy Camp, CA, bring hundreds of suction dredgers to the Klamath and its tributaries each year. California’s regulations of the mining practice are more lax than in other states, making it a popular destination for hobby miners. At times, ten or more suction dredges can be found in one river mile on the Klamath and several hundred dredges are estimated to be operating within the watershed at one time.

Klamath Riverkeeper has supported SB 670 and is also a co-plaintiff in a pending lawsuit against California Department of Fish and Game over their suction dredge mining program. “We have multiple avenues to seek a ban on this harmful mining practice until it can be scientifically evaluated and properly regulated. Today’s committee passage of SB 670 is the another step toward a legislative solution to this critical issue,” says Harding.

About:
Klamath Riverkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the Klamath River and its tributaries, fisheries, and communities. Klamath Riverkeeper has offices in Orleans, California and Ashland, Oregon. For more information please visit www.klamathriver.org. For photos of suction dredging on the Klamath, please email scott@klamathriver.org .

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California Bill Banning Recreational Suction Dredge Mining Passes Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee with 11-0 Vote

Tallahassee, FL-(FishNLand.com)- Florida’s resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore or a structure affixed to shore will need to buy a $7.50 (plus administrative and handling fees) shoreline fishing license by Aug. 1, unless they have a regular resident saltwater fishing license.

The new license applies only to Florida resident saltwater anglers who fish from shore. Resident anglers may prefer to purchase the regular recreational saltwater license that covers them, no matter where they fish for saltwater species in Florida.

Florida has always required nonresidents to have a license when fishing from shore, and they will still need to purchase a regular nonresident saltwater fishing license.

The new shoreline saltwater fishing license for residents goes on sale July 15. It provides all of the same exemptions as a regular license, including senior citizens, children, disabled people who meet certain qualifications, active-duty military personnel while home on leave, and anglers who fish from a licensed pier.

In addition, the shoreline license requirement includes two new exemptions:

* anglers drawing food stamps, temporary cash assistance or Medicaid; and
* anglers fishing in their home counties who use cane poles or other gear that does not depend on mechanical retrieval.

At the request of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Florida Legislature passed the new license requirement to head off a federal license requirement that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010, and will have a $15-$25 fee beginning in 2011. Florida’s new shoreline license exempts this state’s anglers from the federal license requirement.

Several hunting, fishing and conservation organizations requested other permit fee changes, which do not take effect until July 2010. They include increases in:

* the state waterfowl stamp, from the current $3 to $5;
* in the resident turkey permit, from $5 to $10;
* the nonresident turkey permit, from $100 to $125;
* the wildlife management area permit for hunting, fishing and other recreational uses, from $25 to $30;
* the limited-entry or special-opportunity hunt fee, from $100 per day to $150 per day and $250 per week to $300 per week, as determined by FWC Commissioners;
* the snook permit, from $2 to $10; and
* the lobster permit, from $2 to $5.

Also, new laws create a $5 annual deer permit (in addition to the current hunting license requirement for deer hunters) and allow the agency to charge up to $5 per day for non-hunting and non-fishing recreation on certain wildlife management areas.

The FWC will evaluate areas where it is the lead manager to determine where to charge the fees and how much to charge. In addition, the state will use up to 10 percent of the hunting and sport-fishing fees to promote those sports, with emphasis on youth participation.

For more information about outdoor recreation and FWC programs, go to MyFWC.com.

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Florida Shoreline Anglers Need To Buy License By Aug. 1

Senator Wiggins’ SB 670 Would Place Moratorium On Suction Dredging Until Scientific Review and New Protections Are In Effect

Sacramento, CA – Showing its concern for the state’s ailing fisheries, the California Senate passed SB 670 with a 31-8 bipartisan vote.  Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) introduced the bill that places a moratorium on recreational suction dredge mining until a scientific review of the mining practice is completed and new rules protecting fisheries, water quality, and public health are in effect. The bill was widely supported by dozens of Tribes, conservation organizations, and commercial fishermen.

In today’s floor debate, Senator Wiggins highlighted the fact that California’s salmon fishermen were out of work while a small group of miners continued to practice a hobby that destroyed salmon habitat. She also emphasized that SB 670 does not limit less environmentally destructive mining practices or take away property rights.

California’s taxpayers heavily subsidize the state’s suction dredge permit program through the California Department of Fish and Game. The state spends $1.25 million more per year on the permit program than it receives in permit fees, amounting to a $400 subsidy for each of the 3,200 miners that obtain permits.

Scott Harding, Executive Director of Klamath Riverkeeper said, “It’s good to see California stop spending taxpayer money on a mining program that puts a few flakes of gold in 3,000 hobby miners’ pockets while harming fisheries and those who depend upon clean, healthy rivers. California is experiencing a fiscal crisis and a fisheries emergency. SB 670 helps to solve both these problems at once.”

Suction dredge mining takes place directly in river and stream channels using a floating, gas-powered vacuum coupled to a sluice box.  The miner, sometimes with the aid of SCUBA gear, vacuums sediment, gravel, and small rocks from the river bottom. This material is then run through a mechanized sluice on the floating platform. Gold flakes are separated from the sediment, which is spit back into the river in long, murky plumes.

Suction dredging represents a chronic and unnatural disturbance to the river and is known to harm fisheries, aquatic habitat, and degrade water quality. It can stir up leftover mercury pollution from historical mining activity and reintroduce it into the food chain, creating a public health problem. Depending on size, location and density of these machines they can turn a clear running mountain stream into a murky watercourse unfit for swimming and destroy salmon spawning habitat.

Recreational mining businesses and prospecting clubs, such as the New 49’ers in Happy Camp, CA, bring hundreds of suction dredgers to the Klamath and its tributaries each year. California’s regulations of the mining practice are more lax than in other states, making it a popular destination for hobby miners.  At times, ten or more suction dredges can be found in one river mile on the Klamath and several hundred dredges are estimated to be operating within the watershed at one time.

Klamath Riverkeeper has supported SB 670 and is also a co-plaintiff in a pending lawsuit against California Department of Fish and Game over their suction dredge mining program.

“We have multiple avenues to seek a ban on this harmful mining practice until it can be scientifically evaluated and properly regulated. Today’s passage of SB 670 is the first step toward a legislative solution to this critical issue,” says Harding.

Klamath Riverkeeper is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the Klamath River and its tributaries, fisheries, and communities.  Klamath Riverkeeper has offices in Orleans, California and Ashland, Oregon. For more information please visit www.klamathriver.org.

About:

Founded in 1999, California Coastkeeper Alliance (CCKA) is a non-profit organization that coordinates, supports and enhances the work of local California Waterkeepers to ensure Californians enjoy clean water and a healthy coast.  CCKA began as coalition of Southern California Waterkeepers, and it has since expanded along the entire coast, up to the Oregon border. CCKA  and its member Waterkeepers represent the only statewide-local partnership focused on the health of the state’s waters and coastal ecosystems. Coordinating on-the-ground work at the community level with policy work at the statewide level, CCKA protects and expands upon the advances made by place-based Waterkeepers by advocating before state decision-makers on water-related issues important to California’s communities.

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California Bill Banning Recreational Suction Dredge Mining Sails Through Senate with 31-8 Vote

LINCOLN, Neb. –(FishNLand.com)- A day of Missouri River crappie fishing turned into a record day for Jason Johnson of Omaha. The crappie had nothing to do with it, though. It was a shortnose gar he landed that set a state record for hook and line fishing.

Johnson, 15, was fishing the river’s backwaters in Douglas County on May 26 when he landed the 3-pound, 6-ounce shortnose gar. He and his two brothers had been targeting and catching crappie. Johnson saw the gar swim by and got it to take his minnow.

Johnson had caught gar before, including longnose gar, but this time he had a reason to keep one. “My brother said I should take it in because it could be a state record,” he said. “Usually I don’t keep them; I let them go.”

The previous state record was 2 pounds, 14 ounces set last June in the Platte River in Platte County.

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Nebraska State Hook-and-Line Record Set for Shortnose Gar

LINCOLN, Neb. –(FishNLand.com)- Any adult interested in becoming a youth fishing instructor may attend a training workshop June 23 at the Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium near Gretna, according to Andrea Faas, outdoor education specialist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The workshop is from 6-8 p.m. and adults will be certified to be volunteer instructors for Nebraska’s Youth Fishing Program. The training is free, but preregistration by June 22 is required for any adult who wants to learn how to put on fishing programs, derbies or club activities for children and families.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org to learn more about the Youth Fishing Program and contact Faas at (402) 332-3901 or andrea.faas@nebraska.gov to register.

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Nebraska Fishing Instructor Training Set for June 23

Wichita, Kan. -(FishNLand.com)– Be prepared to be the hero of the next tailgate party or outdoor cookout by being ready to cook at a moment’s notice. The new Coleman® RoadTrip® Premium Table Top Grill gives outdoor chefs the freedom of quick setup, tear down and the ability to cook nearly anywhere a flat surface can be found.

Boasting a full 10,000 Btu of heat courtesy of one fully adjustable, stainless steel burner, the RoadTrip Premium Table Top Grill gets hot and cooks fast – a must when tailgating before cold-weather late-season games. Lightweight and easy to carry, the grill features an InstaStart™ electronic ignition that provides simple, matchless lighting of the propane fuel source (sold separately).

With a 245-square-inches of total cooking surface, including a 205-square-inch cast iron, porcelain-coated grill plus a warming rack, and an integrated temperature gauge on the lid, users can prepare the best burgers and brats in the league. With a convenient grease-management system featuring slide-out grease tray for quick and easy cleanup, this grill easily doubles for cookouts at home.

Coleman RoadTrip Premium Table Top Grill

• Power: 10,000 Btu burner
• Cooking Surface: 205-square-inch removable cast iron porcelain-coated grill, plus a warming rack (40 square inches)
• Ignition: InstaStart™ electronic ignition
• Fuel: Operates on 16.4-ounce propane cylinder (sold separately) or adaptable to 20-pound tank (hose and tank sold separately)
• Construction: Lightweight, durable die-cast aluminum base with porcelain-coated steel lid; glass-reinforced plastic frame for comfortable carrying
• Features: Temperature gauge on lid, grease-management system with slide-out grease tray, limited two-year warranty
• MSRP: $149.99

About Coleman

As an international leader in the innovation and marketing of outdoor products, The Coleman Company, Inc., helps people have fun and make memories by providing the gear integral to their favorite outdoor experiences. The company’s products include its legendary lanterns and stoves, as well as coolers, tents, sleeping bags, airbeds, backpacks, furniture, and grills under its Coleman® and Exponent® brands. Additionally, the company provides flotation devices, towables, rainwear, waders, hunting and fishing gear, and safety and survival equipment under its Stearns®, Sevylor®, Sospenders®, Hodgman®, Mad Dog Gear®, Nevin® and Helium® brands. Founded in 1900 and based in Wichita, Kan., Coleman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation and can be found online at www.coleman.com. Consumers can call 800-835-3278 or e-mail consumerservice@coleman.com for general information or for Coleman products. To view Stearns products, go to www.stearnsflotation.com.

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Coleman Introduces RoadTrip Table Top Grill

Big Pine Key, Florida Keys

McKenna, who fished aboard Cudjoe Cuda with Captain Glenn Taylor, earned the top spot and $5,000 for a dolphin weighing 36.70 pounds.

Anglers weighed in a tournament record of 131 dolphin during the challenge’s two fishing days, said event co-director Carole Stevens, as well as five tuna and a wahoo that tipped the scales at 57.55 pounds.

Keith Wilkinson of Macclenny, Fla., took second place honors for bringing in a 36.2-pound dolphin while fishing on the General Quarters guided by Captain Keith Collins.

Ted Yoho of Gainesville, Fla., placed third with a dolphin weighing 36.05 pounds. He fished on the Salt Shaker and also captained the boat.

The tournament’s top female angler was Juliane Renner of Big Pine. She caught a 29.65-pound dolphin while fishing on Captain Hartnut Renner’s Sea U.

In the junior division, 14-year-old Mike Malvasio Jr. of Southwest Ranches, Fla., took first place. Malvasio caught a 27.45-pound dolphin fishing on Swallow the Leader, skippered by his father, Mike Malvasio Sr.

Additional prizes were awarded to the anglers who caught the largest tuna and wahoo. Bill O’Quinn of Immokalee, Fla., was recognized for a 17.7-pound tuna, while Big Pine angler Steve Rudolph, who caught the 57.55-pound wahoo on the first fishing day, took top wahoo honors.

“It was so big that no one else even bothered to bring a wahoo in,” said Stevens.

The tournament drew 226 participants fishing on 97 boats.

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Record Weigh-In Characterizes Lower Keys Dolphin Tournament

A sailfish leaps while hooked up to an angler's line off Islamorada in the Florida Keys. A highly prized catch-and-release gamefish, sailfish is one of a myriad of saltwater species that attract visitors to the Keys on a year-round basis. The Keys features a diversity of sportfishing opportunities, ranging from deep water angling for blue marlin to flats fishing for bonefish and tarpon. Photo by Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau)

Warm, nutrient-rich waters from the Caribbean Basin pour into the Straits of Florida, combining with water flowing out of the shallow-water nurseries of the Everglades and Florida Bay to create a profuse food chain. That in turn sustains massive amounts of bait fish which attract abundant stocks of game fish to the Keys.

The close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay provide anglers with the opportunity to fish more than one body of water within the same day of fishing to capitalize on the wide variety of fisheries. It is not uncommon for captains out of Key West to fish the Gulf of Mexico in the morning and the Atlantic Ocean in the afternoon. Further up the island chain, anglers can fish for sailfish and dolphin offshore during the day and bonefish or tarpon inshore during the late afternoon and early evening.

Uniquely situated between the Atlantic and the Gulf, the Keys benefit from ocean breezes that keep temperatures moderate year-round. Key West’s average daytime high is 81.9 degrees Fahrenheit, with similar readings throughout the islands. The short-sleeve weather and clear blue skies of winter, and the brief summer showers, permit anglers to fish on a daily basis.

Conservation efforts designed to enhance fish stocks have been in the forefront of sportfishing in the Keys for decades. Catch-and-release fishing, followed by size and bag limits, and more recently bans on gill nets and fish traps in state waters, have enabled stocks to stabilize and grow.

Pelagic, (migratory ocean fish), flats and reef species are plentiful throughout the Keys, and world records attest to healthy and productive fisheries. According to the International Game Fish Association, the Keys are home to more sportfishing records than any other destination in the world. During recent years, the waters surrounding the Keys have produced an annual average of nearly 15 percent of all IGFA saltwater world records.

Sailfish and dolphin (the fish, not the mammal) are two of the most popular offshore species pursued in the Keys. Prime sailfish season is during the winter months, while dolphin is the focus of the summer months.

Flats fishing, or hunting in shallow water, focuses on the “big three” – tarpon, bonefish and permit. Top season for tarpon is April through June, while permit and bonefish are most active from spring through fall, although many flats species can be targeted year-round.

Anglers looking to wrestle monster denizens up from Keys reefs and deep-water structures continue to be surprised by excellent catches. Primary targets in this fishery are snapper and grouper which are available year-round.

Abundant and healthy fish stocks are only one advantage available to anglers fishing the Keys. The region also is home to the world’s best fishing captains and guides, who practice their trade 365 days a year. Offshore, inshore, backcountry and flats charters are available throughout the island chain with skippers who know how to catch fish regardless of the conditions.

Year-round, there’s always something to catch in the Florida Keys. For more information on fishing in the Keys, call 1-888-FISH-KEYS (888-347-4539). For lodging information call 1-800-FLA-KEYS (800-275-5397), or visit the Web site at www.fla-keys.com.

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Florida Keys Lure Fish And Anglers Alike For Exciting Fishing

For the first time ever, Glacier Outdoor offers Father’s Day Gift Packages for the avid hunter and/or fisherman in your life

Reno, Nev. -(FishNLand.com)– Shopping for him can be hard enough, especially on Father’s Day when you really want to show your Dad that you care. For more than 25 years, Glacier Outdoor has been creating the most effective and comfortable outdoor gloves and accessories for outdoorsmen around the world. And, for the first time ever, Glacier Outdoor is offering Father’s Day Gift Packages to help make finding the perfect gift for Dad easier, and more convenient.

Simply shop online at www.glacieroutdoor.com from home, and you’ll find the company’s top picks for hunters and fisherman this Father’s Day. The special Father’s Day package includes the three unique products that every avid outdoorsman needs to have to improve their game!

The Father’s Day Package includes:

1. The Universal Chest Pack (323BL) can be used on most PFD’s (life vests), any backpack or even by itself and it’s the perfect product to join you on your next fishing and kayak adventure! The pack comes with adjustable straps for comfort and flexibility, and offers a variety of useful and expandable storage space. One size is available, and the Universal Chest Pack regularly retails for $59.99.

2. The Lycra Sun Glove with Pu Palm (007GP) features new 50+ UPF lycra back for maximum sun protection while your outdoors. The ultra lightweight lycra dries very quickly, and our new pattern design provides the best protection for your fingers. The Polyurethan palm is comfortable, thin and durable and an extended cuff will also protect your wrist from the sun. Available in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large, this sun glove regularly retails for $19.99.

3. The Long Bill Sun Hat with Shade is our most popular long billed cap, and a great accessory for any outdoorsman. It offers 30+ UPF and is lightweight, breathable and dries quickly. The dark blue under the brim helps reduce glare, and the shade can be worn down during hot hours, or tucked into the crown when it’s not needed. An adjustable chin strap keeps the cap in one place during windy conditions. This is a great choice for boating and fishing enthusiasts! One size fits most, and this sun hat regularly retails for $24.99.

These three outdoor products are a must-have for Dads this Father’s Day, and to sweeten the deal for you- Glacier Outdoor will take off 15% off the package price when you check out! Take advantage of this great offer, and spoil your outdoorsman this Father’s Day!

With careful attention to dexterity, comfort and performance, Glacier Outdoor has developed original products out of original, high-tech materials such as neoprene fleece, wool any polyurethane. To take a closer look at Glacier Outdoor’s complete fishing, hunting, paddle and sun product lines, please visit www.glacieroutdoor.com. For more product information, requests for images, interviews or product samples, contact Kerry Sutherland at MassMedia at 775-322-0755 or kerry@massmediacc.com.
Happy Father’s Day!

About:

Since 1982 Glacier Glove® has made its mark in the world of outdoor sports with its original neoprene cold weather fishing glove. The product line includes 30 unique gloves appropriate to fishing, hunting, cycling, hiking, climbing and paddling. Glacier Gloves have been used by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy, and were selected by the U.S. Treasury Department to be worn by more than 1,500 security officers at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. These innovative gloves have been used on Mt. Everest assents and have been worn by such celebrity athletes as three-time Tour-de-France winner Greg Lemond. The company also features a line of Dr. Shade™ sun protection gear. Visit them online at www.glacieroutdoor.com call 1-800-728-8235 for more information.

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Happy Father’S Day From Glacier Outdoor!

CERRITOS, Calif., -(FishNLand.com)– Daiwa’s new  Steez™ 103SHA and 100SHA baitcasters are not only the lightest reels of their kind, they’re also among the fastest. Weighing in at a mere 5.6 and 5.7 ounces and featuring a blazing 7.1:1 gear ratio, the latest Steez additions offer bass fishermen the ultimate combination of lightweight performance and line-burning speed.

Like all Steez baitcasters, the 103SHA and 100HA boast a magnesium body design that’s feather-light, yet incredibly strong and durable. With an ultra-fast retrieve now part of the package, Steez users can rip lures back to the boat and cover large areas of water quicker than ever before. A single turn of the handle reels in an impressive 29.8 inches of line.

Both the Steez 103SHA and 100SHA models boast a free-floating, A7075 aluminum spool that starts up fast and spins longer. This spool design works in conjunction with Daiwa’s exclusive Magforce®-V automatic anti-backlash system to allow for long, trouble-free casts. The Steez 103SHA features a standard spool design, while the 100SHA is equipped with a high-capacity, U-shaped spool ideal for accommodating heavier test lines.

Inside the Steez 103SHA and 100HA, eleven precision ball bearings, plus a roller bearing, ensure maximum smoothness and reliable operation. A tough, A7075 tempered aluminum drive gear and phosphor bronze pinion deliver the fish-fighting power needed to overtake big, stubborn bass. Cranking stability and ease is enhanced by a Swept Handle design, which moves the handle closer to the rod’s centerline for less wobble, a better feel and increased winding leverage.

The Steez 103SHA and 100SHA also offer unsurpassed fish-stopping performance. Each model is equipped with an eight-disc wet drag with micro-click adjustment for smoothness and consistency you can depend on under pressure.

Additional features include: Infinite Anti-Reverse, precision-click fee spool adjustment, and easy sideplate removal for quick spool changes.

Daiwa’s Steez 103SHA and 100SHA models have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $479.95.

For Daiwa’s latest color catalog and/or information on Daiwa dealers in your area, call Daiwa’s Customer Service Department at 562-802-9589 or e-mail inquiries to: info@daiwa.com.

About:

Daiwa’s first spinning reel rolled off the assembly line in 1955. Since then, the company has grown into one of the largest and most influential tackle companies in the world today.

To handle sales and distribution in the United States, Daiwa Corporation first opened its doors on September 26, 1966, operating from a small facility in Culver City, California. Today, based in Cerritos, California, Daiwa Corporation sells tackle throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America.

From the very beginning, Daiwa’s emphasis has been upon innovation and quality. The result is a long list of product features, design and materials that have become standards for the fishing tackle industry. It is a long-standing record of innovation, the type of innovation that has left a visible mark on the majority of tackle manufactured today, innovation that continues to advance the sport of fishing.

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Daiwa Releases New Baitcaster Reels

Naturally, Porta-Botes are ideal for the energy conserving boating enthusiast who enjoys fishing, hunting and sailing but lacks the space to store ordinary boats. Porta-Botes are also extremely practical for owners of small autos and Rvs since they easily stow on the roof or side of the vehicle. By eliminating the need to tow a heavy trailer, fuel costs are significantly reduced.

In addition to being used as an owner’s main craft, Porta-Botes make excellent ship-to-shore dinghies since they take up so little space on board sailboats and cabin cruisers.

As for performance, Porta-Botes leave similar sized aluminum boats and inflatables in their wake only needing half the horsepower of these heavier boats. The hull’s design traps the bow wave and guides it under the boat to dramatically reduce drag while increasing speed and stability.

For more information visit www.portabota.com

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Porta-Bote Int’l Introduces New Line Of Unique Folding Boats

LINCOLN, Neb.

Nebraska law requires any motorboat or personal watercraft operator under 18 years of age must complete a boating safety course and be in possession of a course certificate when operating the boat. A person must be at least 14 years of age to operate a motorboat or personal watercraft in Nebraska.

The recently added classes are:

Hastings, June 19 – 5 p.m.; Hastings Police Department, 317 S. Burlington Ave.; contact Scott Eveland at (308) 289-0017; $10 fee; home-study course with proctored exam review/test session; pick up study materials at the Hastings Police Department by June 17 or call instructor.

South Bend, June 27 – 8 a.m.; 32016 W. Lake Park Drive; contact Bob Ellsworth at (402) 944-2892; $10 fee.

Alliance, June 27 – 1 p.m.; NGPC, 299 Husker Road; contact Nancy Fletcher at (308) 763-2940; $10 fee; bring sack lunch.

Visit OutdoorNebraska.org/boating for a schedule of boating safety courses.

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Additional Boating Safety Classes Scheduled for 2009 In Nebraska

TowBoatUS Lake Texoma is owned by Capt. William “Joe” Winner and his wife, Roxan. “It took us nearly a year to get up and running because of the stringent requirements set by the various government agencies as well as meeting BoatUS’ high standards,” said Roxan.

TowBoatUS Lake Texoma is located at Cedar Mills Marina in Gordonville, TX. The location is the third TowBoatUS towing port in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth region and it joins a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats.”

Stationed at the port is a 23-foot Parker Pilothouse response vessel loaded with a full complement of towing equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. The vessel can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its sides.

Joe Winner has been a US Coast Guard licensed captain for 10 years and has been boating for over 25 years. He says that with over a dozen marinas on the lake and thousands of boats, his service should be invaluable.
“You can call us day or night and we’ll be there.” While current lake levels are okay, fluctuating water levels sometimes recede, leading boaters to accidentally run aground. “You can boat on the lake one weekend in water that’s deep enough, but a week or two later in some areas it can get too shallow for sailboats or powerboats,” he adds. Running aground can damage a motorboat’s drive gear leaving the boat disabled with no way to return to the launch ramp or marina.

BoatUS offers “Unlimited” on-the-water towing plans for freshwater boaters for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Lake Texoma by calling the company directly at 903-267-0767; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

About BoatUS Towing Services:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels – three times that of any other service provider.

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On-the-Water Towboat Company for Recreational Boaters and Anglers Opens on Lake Texoma

TowBoatUS Decatur, located at mile marker 305 at the Riverwalk Marina in Decatur, is the second port for Helms, who opened TowBoatUS Scottsboro, AL in 2004. Stationed at TowBoatUS Decatur is a 25-foot Munson Pilothouse response vessel fully rigged for marine towing and salvage work, including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and a battery “jump pack” to handle dead batteries. It can be identified by its distinctive red hull, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along its side.

The port’s service area includes Lake Guntersville to the Joe Wilson Dam. Helms says he sometimes trailers the response vessel to avoid going through locks, providing a quicker response to boaters in need of assistance.

Five local US Coast Guard-licensed captains operate the vessel. Helms, who has a commercial license, also has extensive HAZMAT experience with fuel spills and his company has worked with the Alabama Marine Police for several years. He is also owner of Precision Auto and Truck Collision Repair in nearby Scottsboro which offers roadside towing and vehicle repair services and has been in business since the early 1980s.

This is the fifth TowBoatUS port on the Tennessee River, joining a nationwide fleet of over 600 towboats which are part of BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services.

About
BoatUS offers “Unlimited” on-the-water towing plans for fresh water for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Decatur by calling the company directly at 256-259-0111; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

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On-The-Water Towboat Company For Recreational Boaters And Anglers Opens On The Tennessee River In Decatur, Al

West Virginia Celebrates National Fishing And Boating Week June 6-14 Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14
Charleston, W.VA

“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.

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West Virginia Celebrates National Fishing And Boating Week June 6-14 Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14

Recreational boating generates a statewide economic impact estimated at $3.5 billion annually, according to a 2007 Great Lakes Commission study. (http://glc.org/recboat/). Ohio’s recreational boating industry supports the fulltime equivalent of more than 26,000 jobs. Ohio also ranked ninth nationally in 2008 with a total of 411,366 registered watercraft.

Local communities with marinas, boat launch ramps and other related facilities especially benefit economically by attracting boaters to spend money locally on lodging, meals, fuel, entertainment, shopping and more, according to the Division of Watercraft.

The new Ohio Boating Areas map includes facility locations, amenities and phone numbers grouped by waterways based upon their horsepower rating and regional location such as Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Additional information on navigation rules, life jacket safety, boating safety tips and launch and loading tips for boaters is included as part of the map.

About:

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

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Ohio Dept of Natural Resources Offers New Public Boating Facilities Map

“Clean Vessel Act funds support construction of facilities in communities that depend on recreational boating for their economy, and depend on clean water for their health,” said Salazar. “These grants provide immediate funding for construction of infrastructure that will provide lasting value for recreational boaters, and everyone who relies on clean waters.”

Since the program’s inception in the early 1990s, the program – administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – has awarded more than $163 million to states to install thousands of sewage pumpout stations. In addition, many states now rely upon mobile sewage pumpout boats to make the sewage collection process more efficient and convenient. A number of states also have begun installing floating restrooms and pumpout stations in high use areas of lakes and coastal waters.

Funding for the CVA program comes from the Sport Fishing and Boating Trust Fund, formerly known as the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which is supported by excise taxes levied on certain fishing and boating equipment and boat fuels.

“These Clean Vessel Act grants will help the states maintain clean and healthy waters for people and wildlife,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould. “Sewage pumpouts may not be the most glamorous conservation tool, but their presence can have an immediate and clear impact on the well-being of aquatic resources and recreational waterways that provide drinking water to millions of Americans.”

A listing of grant awards made today include:

Alabama: $297,188 – The Alabama Department of Environmental Management plans to install ten sewage pumpout stations throughout the state for its inland and coastal waters. In addition, the agency plans to maintain efforts to inform boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal and how it benefits the aquatic environment.

Arkansas: $323,335 – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plans to purchase five sewage pumpout boats and install fourteen sewage pumpout stations. The grant will also provide funds for the operations, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of existing sewage pumpout stations as needed to keep these stations functioning.

Arizona: $150,000 – The Arizona Fish and Game Department plans to install at least five sewage pumpout facilities, eight dump stations, and purchase a sewage pumpout boat for use on inland waters.

California: $3,130,000 – The California Department of Boating and Waterways plans to install eight sewage pumpout stations, purchase two sewage pumpout boats, and install up to ten floating restrooms throughout the state for coastal and inland waters. The agency will also continue its aggressive educational program to inform boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Florida: $1,816,575 – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection plans to install more than 29 dual purpose sewage pumpout-dump station facilities for inland and coastal waters. The agency will continue its education and outreach efforts with boaters to stress the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Georgia: $63,432 – The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will install two sewage pumpout facilities and purchase a sewage pumpout boat for its inland and coastal waters.

Idaho: $95,000 – The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation plans to replace or renovate approximately four sewage pumpout stations.

Illinois: $112,500 – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources plans install up to five sewage pumpout stations throughout the state, dependent upon the needs of the state’s marina operators.

Indiana: $495,482 – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management plans to install eight sewage pumpout stations and one floating restroom and to continue efforts to inform boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Kansas: $32,250 – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks plans to fund the installation of a sewage pumpout facility at Perry Lake.

Kentucky: $124,469 – The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources plans to install a sewage pumpout facility, purchase one sewage pumpout boat, and renovate one sewage pumpout facility along the Ohio River, Lake Cumberland, and Dale Hollow Lake.

Louisiana: $90,000 – The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries plans to fund the purchase of a sewage pumpout boat and a mobile sewage dump station for use on Lake Pontchartrain and Bayou Castine, as well as continue education efforts throughout the state on proper sewage disposal.

Massachusetts: $1,343,772 – The Division of Marine Fisheries plans to install sewage pumpout facilities, purchase seven pumpout boats, renovate two pumpout boats, and provide operation and maintenance funding for existing sewage pumpout boats and facilities throughout the state’s coastal waters. The agency will also continue its educational efforts on proper sewage disposal.

Michigan: $100,000 – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to fund the installation of four sewage pumpout facilities on coastal waters and continue its education and awareness efforts for proper sewage disposal.

Minnesota: $337,500 – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to install five sewage pumpout stations at marinas throughout the state and to educate boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal and its importance to the environment.

Mississippi: $143,500 – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources plans to install five sewage pumpout facilities throughout the state at coastal and inland sites.

Missouri: $48,000 – The Missouri Department of Conservation plans to install new or replacement sewage pumpout facilities at three or four marinas in the state’s waters as needed.

New Hampshire: $210,370 – The New Hampshire Department plans to install four sewage pumpout facilities at coastal and inland sites.

New Jersey: $588,888 – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection plans to install 18 sewage pumpout facilities, purchase one sewage pumpout boat, and educate boaters about proper sewage disposal.

New York: $1,270,007 – The New York Department of Environmental Conservation plans to purchase 31 stationary sewage pumpout units, three sewage pumpout boats, and 31 dump facilities for portable toilets; and to install two floating restrooms throughout the state’s inland and coastal waters. In addition, the state plans to provide operation and maintenance funds for existing facilities to ensure their availability for recreational boaters.

North Carolina: $194,875 – The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to install four new sewage pumpout facilities and twelve dual purpose sewage pumpout-dump facilities throughout the state’s coastal waters and continue efforts to inform boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Ohio: $248,625 – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Watercraft, plans to install sewage pumpout facilities at five locations throughout the state.

Oregon: $1,111,650 – The Oregon State Marine Board plans to purchase and install 22 sewage pumpout stations and 28 dump stations for coastal and inland waters throughout the state and to provide funding for the operation and maintenance of existing facilities. The agency will also continue its efforts to educate boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal and its benefits to aquatic ecosystems.

Rhode Island: $448,000 – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management plans to install ten sewage pumpout stations, replace or renovate five sewage pumpout stations, and purchase a sewage pumpout boat for the proper disposal of boater sewage on coastal waters throughout the state.

Tennessee: $600,000 – The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency plans to install 16 sewage pumpout stations and renovate two sewage pumpout stations throughout the state. The agency will also continue its efforts to educate boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Texas: $375,000 – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department plans to install 25 sewage pumpout stations for inland waters and to continue its educational efforts to inform boaters about the importance of proper sewage disposal.

Utah: $350,743 – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will construct two sewage pumpout facilities to replace older facilities located at Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Bear Lake.

Washington: $530,000 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Department plans to install six new sewage pumpout and dump station facilities and to provide operation and maintenance funding for 36 coastal marinas and 25 inland marinas throughout the State.

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov .

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Secretary Salazar Announces Boating Grants To 28 States To Help Keep Waterways Clean

Dive flags must be displayed at all times while divers and snorkelers are in the water. (FWC photo)

Tallahassee, FL -(FishNLand.com)- In the past five years, 22 divers in Florida’s waters have been killed or injured after a boat struck them. Many of these incidents could have been avoided had the boaters been on the lookout for divers-down flags, or if the divers had properly displayed the dive flags to alert boaters to their presence.

Today, Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet passed a resolution proclaiming June 27 – July 3 as Dive Flag Awareness Week.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the U.S. Coast Guard and their marine law enforcement partners support the resolution.

Lt. David Bingham, an FWC watch commander stationed in south Florida, became very familiar with diving dangers after investigating several injuries and fatalities.

“Tens of thousands of residents and visitors enjoy the great snorkeling and diving opportunities Florida has to offer,” Bingham said. “Obviously, divers don’t want to be struck by a boat, and boaters don’t want to strike anyone either.”

Bingham conducts an annual “Wave the Flag” enforcement detail targeting dive-flag-related violations in south Florida. He is on a mission to promote dive-flag awareness and is encouraged by the proclamation.

“We want folks to enjoy diving without having to look over their shoulder wondering if they are going to be hit,” Bingham said. “It’s time folks pay attention to what a divers-down flag means and to ‘steer clear,’ and divers need to make sure they present their flags according to the laws.”

A divers-down flag used on a vessel must be displayed whenever divers or snorkelers are in the water. The divers-down flag is red with a white diagonal stripe. It must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches and flown at a high point, observable 360 degrees around the vessel. A divers-down flag towed on a float must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. It must have a wire or other stiffener to hold it open.

Divers and snorkelers must make every reasonable effort to stay close to their flag. When they exit the water, the divers-down flag must be taken down.

“It is imperative that divers and snorkelers remove the divers-down flag once they are out of the water or, otherwise, the presence of the flag becomes meaningless to boaters,” Bingham said. “The display of the flag should never be used for any other reason than what it is intended – to indicate there are persons in the water. Using it for any other reason is dangerous and unlawful.”

All vessels must make a reasonable effort to stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down flag within a river, inlet or channel. In open waters, vessels must make a reasonable effort to stay 300 feet away from a divers-down flag. Within those prescribed distances, a vessel may operate but must be at idle speed.

“With bay scallop and spiny lobster season just around the corner, the FWC, our marine law enforcement partners, the governor and the cabinet members really want to emphasize the importance of engaging all safety precautions, including the use of divers-down flags,” Bingham said. “If you’re diving, display a flag. If you’re boating, look for the flag.”

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Florida Governor, Cabinet proclaim June 27 – July 3 as Dive Flag Awareness Week

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

Bayonne, NJ - -(FishNLand.com)- The animal rights group PETA wants to use the Robbins Reef lighthouse off Bayonne and two others in Michigan to publicize what it says are the horrors of killing fish for food and sport.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says it wants to use the Bayonne setting as the national headquarters for its “Fish Empathy Project.”

PETA sent a letter yesterday to the acting director of the National Park Service notifying him of its bid to take over the lighthouse under terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

Norfolk, Va.-based PETA says its plan calls for educational displays and a cafe serving items such as fake fish sticks.

The two other lighthouses are located along Lake Michigan in Grand Haven, Mich.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/bayonne/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1244183155151340.xml&coll=3

ACTION:

Call or write the Acting National Director of the NSP at the address or phone number below and tell him not to let our state parks become a tool for radical animal rights activists.

Director of the National Park Service
Dan Wenk (Acting)
National Park Service
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
Phone: (202) 208-6843

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JOIN the NJOA!

http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

Best regards,

About:
NJOA – New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is the state’s first major political action committee devoted to the task of electing outdoor-minded candidates to public office.
NJOA has formed with the support of leaders of major pro-hunting, pro-angling, and pro-trapping organizations. We are not a hunting, fishing, or trapping “club” or “group,” and do not compete with the interests of such organizations. NJOA helps to ensure that strong wildlife and natural resource protection laws are produced by outdoor-minded elected officials. The best way to ensure a “conservation presence” in Trenton is to support the election campaigns of representatives who understand the relationship between a balanced ecology and hunting, fishing, and trapping.

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PETA Seeks To Use Public Lighthouses For Anti-Fishing Education

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.

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

Trenton, NJ -(FishNLand.com)- The Department of Environmental Protection today announced a new recommendation for consuming large bluefish, a popular species commonly caught in Atlantic Ocean waters.

In coordination with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services and agencies in six other states, the DEP updated its fish consumption advisories and is recommending that the public consume no more than one meal every other month (six meals per year) of bluefish larger than 24 inches. Previously, fish consumption advisories for large bluefish recommended four meals per year for most people.

Bluefish contain polychlorinated biphenyls at levels which may pose a risk to public health; the same health concern exists for another popular species, striped bass. Long-term exposure to PCBs has been shown to cause cancer and a number of other serious health effects, including damage to the nervous system of developing fetuses, the immune system and the reproductive system.

For bluefish smaller than 24 inches and for striped bass, state officials continue to recommend no more than one meal per month (12 meals a year) for most people. Also unchanged are the bluefish and striped bass consumption advisories for infants, children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and women of child-bearing age – a high-risk group that is advised to avoid eating any bluefish or striped bass caught in Atlantic coastal waters.

Officials in New Jersey and six other coastal states updated their fish consumption advisories based on the results of a multi-state study, which evaluated PCB levels in striped bass and bluefish from Maine to Georgia. Completed in 2008, the study also showed that bluefish and striped bass are not good sources of beneficial fish oils. Different from other fish, these two species have lower amounts of omega-3 fatty acids compared to the amount of PCBs they contain.

The other states — Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland – also are issuing similar updates and instructing pregnant women, young children and other high-risk people to avoid eating striped bass and large bluefish. All others are advised to consume only moderate amounts of these fish.

Aggressive cleanup efforts and improved disposal practices have reduced PCB contamination in the environment, and a continued decline in PCB levels in fish is anticipated. In the meantime, the public is encouraged to enjoy more frequent meals of other types of marine and freshwater species, such as flounder, weakfish and trout.

For more information, visit New Jersey’s fish advisory Web site at www.FishSmartEatSmartNJ.org.

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New Jersey Updates Advisory For Consuming Large Bluefish

Cooley, a former Navy commander, says battery jump starts, fuel drop offs and tows back to a launch ramp are some common requests from boaters. The lake has many isolated coves and inlets, and Cooley believes that his three captains’ local knowledge is invaluable in locating disabled vessels in need of assistance.

Stationed at the port are two, 20-foot Shamrock response boats loaded with a full complement of towing and salvage equipment including extra fuel, engine fluids, pumps, dive gear and battery “jump packs” to handle dead batteries. The vessels can be identified by their distinctive red hulls, white bow stripes and “TowBoatU.S.” lettering along their sides.

BoatUS offers an “Unlimited” on-the-water towing plan for freshwater boaters for just $53 a year, which includes BoatUS membership. Without a towing plan, boaters face costs that nationally average about $600 per incident. Boaters in need of towing assistance can reach TowBoatUS Lake Murray by calling the company directly at 888-604-0119; by VHF radio on channel 16; or through the BoatUS toll-free Dispatch Service at 800-391-4869.

Visit BoatUS.com/towing for more information.

The port also offers the BoatUS Foundation’s Life Jacket Loaner Program for Kids , which allows boaters to borrow – at no cost – a correctly-sized life jacket for infants, children and teens for the day.

About BoatUS Towing Services:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatUS and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of US, Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels – three times that of any other service provider.

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On-The-Water Towboat Company For Recreational Boaters And Anglers Expands With New Location On Lake Murray, S.C.