Advisories Eased for Seven Water Bodies; New Species, Water Body Added
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- State officials today released updated fish consumption advisories that include two new fish species and a water body that had not previously been on the list, but also eases or lifts advisories on fish from seven water bodies.
The advisories were developed through an interagency partnership between the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the state departments of Environmental Protection, Health and Agriculture.
"Consumption advisories are not intended to discourage anyone from fishing or eating fresh fish in moderation," Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said. "However, at-risk groups and people who regularly eat sport fish are most susceptible to contaminants that can build up in fish over time and should space out fish meals according to these advisories, and in consultation with their physician."
The advisories do not apply to fish raised for commercial purposes or bought in stores or restaurants.
All of Pennsylvania remains under a blanket advisory that recommends limiting consumption of any recreationally caught fish to one meal per week. This advisory is designed to protect against eating large amounts of fish from waters that have not been tested, or for certain species that have not been tested or fish that may contain other unidentified contaminants. One meal is considered to be one-half pound of fish for a 150-pound person.
For 2010, new advisories have been added limiting consumption of Largemouth Bass in Lake Canadohta in Crawford County to two meals per month, and consumption of Largemouth Bass in Lake Jean in Sullivan and Luzerne counties to one meal per month as a result of elevated levels of mercury in the water.
A do-not-eat advisory has been issued for Channel Catfish in the Mahoning River in Lawrence County due to PCB contamination.
Consumption advisories have been eased but not lifted for the following locations and species:
French Creek in Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties for Smallmouth Bass as a result of mercury contamination;
Lake Erie for Walleye as a result of PCB contamination; and
Schuylkill River from the confluence of Mill Creek at Port Carbon to the Auburn Dam in Schuylkill County for Trout as a result of PCB contamination.
Consumption advisories have been lifted for the following locations and species:
Jacks Creek from the Paintersville Bridge to the mouth in Mifflin County for Brown Trout and White Sucker as a result of PCB contamination;
Chartiers Creek from Canonsburg to the mouth and Little Chartiers Creek from Canonsburg Lake dam to the mouth in Allegheny and Washington Counties for Largemouth Bass and Carp as a result of Chlordane contamination;
Monongahela River from Pool 4 between the Maxwell Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 4 in Fayette and Washington counties for Channel Catfish as a result of Chlordane contamination; and
Sinnemahoning Creek from the confluence of Lower Jerry Run to the mouth in Clinton and Cameron counties for Largemouth Bass and Carp as a result of Mercury contamination.
People can get the health benefits of eating fish and reduce the potential risk of exposure to organic contaminants by properly cleaning, skinning, trimming and cooking the fish they eat.
Proper preparation generally includes trimming away fat and broiling or grilling the fish to allow remaining fat to drip away. Juices and fats that cook out of the fish should not be eaten or reused for cooking or preparing other foods. Mercury, however, collects in the fish's muscle and cannot be reduced by cleaning and cooking methods.
After using Seaguar TATSU on a recent fishing trip, I was amazed at how I could feel every rock, twig and finicky biting fall bass. The difference here is that I was using 15 lb. test and it took a beating on numerous wing dams, rock piles and shell beds. These are the usual suspects when it comes to putting nicks in a fishing line. This line was very helpful as I would work my jerk bait and let it sit idle in the water; as soon as a bass would take a swipe at my bait I would feel it.
Normally when using fluorocarbon line you lose the sensitivity and as you increase the size of the line, along with the ease of casting. So I decided to make a “long cast” out there to find out why TATSU is such an incredible line.
In the fishing world, many innovative techniques and products have come from the diehard finesse fishing circles in Japan. The popular drop shoting technique has now become a staple across the United States, start in Japan.
Starting this year, Seaguar’s highly sought after and very popular Double Structure Fluorocarbon is available as main line for the first time in the United States. Seaguar TATSU is made exclusively from two different 100% Seaguar resins, which allows it to deliver to very crucial characteristics when it comes to selecting a fishing line. Sensitivity and Strength at the same time.
If you are looking for the edge over the fish and the competition next year, check out the new Seaguar TATSU.
SOME anglers said “is that all” as the weight of the winning fish in the South Shields Open was announced, but I bet they would have liked it as the codling of only 3lb 9oz taken from the Black Path at Marsden won Chris Hossack £653.
Second place for the heaviest bag went to Paul McIntyre with two codling and 14 coalfish taken from the pier for 14lb 8oz. The 23-6-2 combined weight of Gavin Owen, third with 14 fish 12-2-8, and Steve Potts fourth with twelve for 10-15-14, took the pairs.
Junior champion was Kelvin Dunn with a codling and two flounders for 3-11-4, Pauline Ferry taking the ladies title with 12oz. The winning fish of 4.76lb, taken by Martin Peel in the Seaham Town Council Open, came from the pier. Darren Swan fished the Featherbed Rocks to take second with a codling of 2.59lb.
Rita Clark took the ladies title with 1.87lb, Conor Darwin the juniors with 1.39lb.
Match anglers have had some cracking sport. Darren Shields won Bedlington Station’s match with 13 cod for 21-2-0 from Blyth Beach, Ronnie Forest taking 10 cod for 19-8-0, best 4-15-8 from Lynemouth. Mark Thomspon won Horden Buffs’ match fished at Lynemouth with nine cod and an eel for 16-5-6, Darren Thompson taking seven cod for 15-11-0, best 5-8-4, the best of a club record weigh in of 77lb taken by eight anglers.
Ronnie Forest fished at Lynemouth to win Seaton Sluice’s match with 10 cod for 19-8-0, Chris Guthrie taking nine cod for 16-10-0, Paul Stephenson taking the heaviest at 6-13-0 from Collywell. Ian Harrogate fished Seaton point to win Ambles match with seven cod for 9lb 3.75oz, a cod of 5-2-0 taken by Dave Keelar from the Crescent won Tynemouth’s match.
Brian Jackson, fishing Roker pier, took five nice flounders including one just over the magical 2lb mark. Chris Hossack was certainly on a roll winning Ryhope’s seepstake with a cod of 7.2lb, Eastenders sweepstake with a cod of 4-9-0, and Eastenders SAC’s match with three cod for 7-10-0, from Roker pier.
Tony Grant took a cod of 7lb from Whitburn the day before the Shields Open. Darren Smith won Horden Buffs’ sweepstake with a cod of 4-10-14 from Blackhall, Ron Smith taking the heaviest bag, three cod for 10-6-10 from Parton. Chris Smith took a mixed bag of 19-13-0 to win OMAC’s match, Gary Dunn taking eight big whiting from Rat House Corner to win Ryhope’s match with 7.6lb. There was a joint effort as Steven Perkins and Graham Campbell got tangled landing a cod of 6.1lb from Cambois after Steve’s line came free. Trevor Green took seven cod for 14.3lb fishing just south of Roker, Ken Stewart taking a cod of 6lb from Newbiggin prom.
The 42nd Seaham Open Shore Championship takes place on November 29. There is a first prize of £1,500, 2nd £600, 3rd £400, for the top three h/f, out of a £10,000 prize kitty, plus prize table of £7,500.
Sea Angler have donated fishing tackle worth £1500 for the main raffle prize. Fish 11am to 4pm, Hendon Groyne to Dene Holm Pipe. Entry is £15. Reg on Saturday from 10am, Sunday from 8am. Or tackle shops in advance, details joseph.gibson@btconnect.com
THE North East Division (Marine) Angling Trust is holding an open shore competition this Sunday.
This is a Penn Points Match, with fishing from 10am to 3pm and weigh-in closing at 4.30pm prompt.
Entry is £10 and registration is at the King Street Social Club, North Shields.
Tickets are available in local tackle shops, or on the day at the registration headquarters from 8.30am.
There are NO boundaries, except for Tynemouth and Seaham piers, which are out of bounds. Any private and restricted areas are also out of bounds.
This is a heaviest single fish match – one angler, one prize. The first prize is £300 cash with second and third prizes also cash and an excellent supporting prize table.
Further details from Sam Harris on (0191) 518 4561 or e-mail samharris01@aol.com.
On Sunday, November 15 South Shields SAC are holding their annual open shore competition. Fishing is from 10am to 3pm with registration from the New Crown Hotel, South Shields from 8am on the day or from local tackle shops on Saturday 14 until 4pm.
Entry is £9 seniors for all classes with juniors under 16 £2.
There are the usual optional sweeps, pairs, hsf and super pool.
Weigh-in is at the New Crown Hotel from 3pm to 4pm. Boundaries are from the Groyne, South Shields to Roker Pier, excluding the pier and foundations.
South Shields pier is included, but the round end, the foundations and any part closed to the public are out of bounds. Competitors are allowed to roam anywhere within the permitted boundaries.
First prize for the heaviest round fish is £500 plus the Alderman Barbour Trophy. The heaviest bag prize is £300. There are women’s and junior prizes and trophies, plus an excellent supporting prize list.
:: AREAS north of Blyth are still producing codling – average 2lb to 3lb.
The best fish last weekend was taken from Lynemouth beach by owner of Sports and Leisure Blyth John Laidler, who took a cod of 7 ½ lb plus another fish of 3 lb on a cocktail of lug, rag and crab.
Other venues which have produced have been Hauxley, the Salt Pans at Amble, Whitehouse Sands, Hadston and the Private Beach.
Roker Pier, following the heavy seas, produced a few cod to 4 ½ lb an at night there are still whiting being taken, mainly on worm baits.
:: FROM November 30 to December 6 the Whitby Charter Skippers Association is running a Winter Uptiding Festival.
The event is being sponsored and the captor of the heaviest single cod will receive £1,000.
The Belize Sports Fishing industry is applauding the action taken by Fisheries Minister Rene Montejo, to protect high value sports fish like Tarpon, bone fish and Permit from exploitation, by insisting on a catch-and-release policy.
A new statutory Instrument states that “no person or establishment shall have in his possession any bone fish (albula vulpes) Permit (trachinotus falacutus) or tarpon (megalops Atlanticus), save and except in the act of catch and release.”
The Belize Sports Fishing Industry notes that several economic studies have been conducted in Belize, focusing on these three species for sports fishing tourism. The studies indicate the high economic value of these species for the local economy.
It has been estimated that these three species - bonefish, tarpon and permit together bring in some $60 million a year and create some 1800 jobs.
“Simply put, these species are far more valuable alive than dead,” industry leaders say, and the Minister of Fisheries has worked with the private sector and NGO groups to protect them.”
The legislation has already received significant international recognition from environmental groups, and the international media, the organization reports.
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Below you will find a Video on how to add Fishing & Boating information to the Fishing Information Map (F. I. M.)
to make it easy for you to add information please add your information and amend and or update any information on the FISHING INFORMATION MAP (F. I. M.)
HOW TO ADD INFORMATION TO THE MAP
I hope the above Video was of some help and if you require any other information please drop me a line.
Thank you for adding Fishing and Boating Information to the Map.
A Big THANK YOU from them that are going to use the Map.
You can add anything to the Map Places of interest or your business but it is mainly for Fishing and Boating from around the World.
Below you will find a Video on how to add Fishing & Boating information to the Fishing Information Map (F. I. M.)
to make it easy for you to add information please add your information and amend and or update any information on the FISHING INFORMATION MAP (F. I. M.)
HOW TO ADD INFORMATION TO THE MAP
I hope the above Video was of some help and if you require any other information please drop me a line.
Thank you for adding Fishing and Boating Information to the Map.
A Big THANK YOU from them that are going to use the Map.
You can add anything to the Map Places of interest or your business but it is mainly for Fishing and Boating from around the World.
Here is a sample of what you can expect from our feature articles. Most of which come with some great video footage which is exclusive to Fishwrecked Reeltime.
Dampier Archipelago Trip Report by Kasey Leong
Kasey takes us to the Pilbara and shows us how with good local knowledge you can catch huge GT's not too far from Perth.
How to make a Surf PopperBy Colin Hay
Colin gives a fantastic "How to" in respect of a piece of surf fishing tackle that isn't that widely used on the West Coast. After this article I think that will change.
"Oh that sounds pretty convincing"By Brad Bell
Brad focusses in on the Pilbara Barra fishing as we start to head into the season. He always makes it look easy, but there's plenty of planning and preparation involved. Includes video of a metre plus barra capture.
Exmouth Trip of a Lifetime Part II By Adam Gallash
Adam shares some awesome footage that you won't believe. Marlin attacking a sailfish underwater. Great sequence pics here too.
In Search of RedsBy David Gull
Gully recounts how one fish species eluded him for years and how in time he cracked the code and tasted the success of the mighty Red Emporer.
Marine Habitat Part IIBy Ewan Buckley
Ewan gets deeper into what our shorelines are made up of, how they came to be and why. This interesting look at marine geology might just give you the edge when considering where to fish next.
There is much more in the mag too with our regular items such as "The eyes have it" and "Point and Shoot"
So what are you waiting for.... click the link below to see Issue 3.
Editor's Note
I really hope you have enjoyed the three Issues we have put together for you so far, I have enjoyed putting them together but I must say it comes at a huge time cost. Reeltime is a free magazine and we want to keep it that way, so if you know of anyone who may like to advertise in the magazine to help defray some of our costs of production then please pass on our contact details (there is a button on the front page of the mag that creates an email to the mag if you want to contact me.)
The more people you share the link with, the more people get to enjoy our magazine and subsequently the more beneficial it is for our sponsors too. So please support the magazine by spreading the word and hopefully we will be around for a long time to come.
The King Salmon runs in Alaska this year are not good.
Several rivers have been closed due to poor returns of King Salmon. .
Global COOLING is being blamed. Extremely low temps in the Gulf of Alaska have contributed to lower plankton numbers and thus lower amounts of food for the Kings.. On the other side is the Red Salmon runs which got off to a dismal start early, but have exploded to near records with over 40,000 fish making it to the world famous Russian River the highest number in years..
The early return of Late run Red Salmon to the Kenai has been shocking as well. Guides are all catching reds while fishing for Kings which means that while the counting did not start until the 1st of July the numbers are high for there to be fish caught while fishing for Kings. .
Only time will tell if the silver and pink salmon will have similar returns. Pinks run in even years in Alaska but some have started to show up in even years occasionally. .
Tourism in Alaska is way down this year with most lodges and guide services reporting a 40 to 60% drop in bookings.
Hey, it's me Gil Blue – your native guide to fishing and boating. What? You never talked to a fish before? Well listen up, because you're not going to want to miss this. National Fishing & Boating Week is coming up. And I've got the five best reasons to get out on the water ...
5. Fishing and boating make for a great (and cheap) vacation. And we can all use a vacation right about now, right? 4. When you purchase a fishing license, equipment or supplies, you help fund conservation projects that keep our waterways clean for lil' old me. 3. When you're on the water, you're not at work. 2. Fishing is the number one activity to get kids interested in the outdoors. Besides, the more times you take the kids fishing, the more times you get to go fishing.
And the number one best thing about fishing and boating:
1. You can Catch A Boat! You've got to see this game. I'm hooked – and for once, I'm happy about it!
Catch A Boat is the best fishing experience you can have indoors. Plus, you'll get a chance to win a brand new boat just by playing. Be sure to send this to all your fishing buddies and spread the word on your Web site and social networks with our Catch A Boat fan badge. Because getting more of you humans out on the water helps protect those of us down here IN the water.
Gil
PS – See you on the water! (But don't be offended if I don't jump right into your boat – I'm fishy like that.)
TakeMeFishing.org is your ultimate online boating and fishing resource, where you'll find everything you need to know to get out on the water. Learn how to choose the right boat, get info about places to boat and fish in your area, bait and lure tips, and ways to catch whatever's biting.
Channel catfish don't leap like landlocked salmon, fight like smallmouth bass or taste like walleye. But if you want to catch a big fish in Vermont waters -- a really, really big fish -- then channel cats have no peer.
Five-pounders are runts; 10-pounders are nothing special; and 15-pounders are almost commonplace. It's not until the 20-pound mark is topped that most veteran catfish anglers start getting excited, with a 30-pound or better fish being a real trophy.
Yet, for decades the big bottom-feeders largely flewunder the radar of Vermont anglers, even though they are every bit as native to Lake Champlain as they are the Deep South, where channel cats rival largemouth bass as the No. 1 game fish.
That began to change in 1992, when the Lake Champlain International fishing derby introduced the "extraordinary species" category, which made catfish, carp and other big uglies eligible for derby prizes. The results were eye-opening.
Huge whiskered fish started showing up at weigh stations, starting a trend that continues to this day. Year after year, the heaviest fish entered in the Father's Day weekend derby are invariably fat cats, and even a 20-pound catfish seldom finishes in the money.
We're talking about fish with heads the size of a soccer ball, and wide, gaping mouths that could easily swallow a keeper trout. Fish that leave your rod hand cramped and your head shaking in disbelief. Fish that seem to come in only two sizes: big and enormous.
Outside of a few specialists, however, relatively few anglers target catfish. It's safe to say that most are probably caught by anglers after other species. That was the case when Hubert Dumas launched a canoe on Monkton Pond in search of bass.
Dumas' nightcrawler was inhaled by a catfish so large it towed his canoe across the pond, and, try as he might, left him unable to regain the line. Only by tying the canoe to the end of a long dock was he able to land the fish after a 45-minute tug-of-war.
Even though Dumas gutted the huge fish and waited two days to have it weighed, it tipped the scales at 34 pounds, 14 ounces, setting the current state record.
Monkton Pond is one of a handful of inland waters in the Champlain Valley where catfish have been introduced. But Dumas's fish notwithstanding, Lake Champlain remains the place to go if you want to catch a giant cat.
Catfish are found throughout the lake, and are particularly abundant in its northern and southernmost reaches, as well as the lower sections of its larger tributary rivers, where water temperatures are more to their liking.
Catfish love warm water. They don't begin actively feeding until the temperature reaches about 60 degrees, and they don't spawn until it climbs into the mid-70s. Both of which make the late spring and early summer prime time to land a big cat.
Doing so is simply a matter of using stout tackle and a big, stinky bait. Catfish will eat just about anything they can get in their huge mouths, dead or alive, and they have a keen sense of smell and taste, with thousands of taste buds covering their flanks and long, whisker-like barbels. The smellier the bait, the better cats like it.
Cut bait, such as half a bluegill or white perch, is a time-proven producer, although the new baitfish rules prohibit anglers from using any panfish other than yellow perch as bait, and then only if caught from the water being fished.
Other productive baits include chicken livers, nightcrawlers, cheese balls, and commercial stinkbaits, the ingredients for most of which happily remain a mystery, although it's safe to say they are nothing you would ever want to eat.
The best fishing is at night, when hungry catfish go on the prowl. Look for shallow, weed-free flats and bays adjacent to deep channels and holes where cats lay up during the day. If the area is fed by a small, fertile tributary stream, so much the better.
Leave your bail open so fish can run with the bait before ingesting it. Then pray that your line is strong enough to handle whatever ate your bait.
But the truth is, you never know when or where a big cat will strike. One of the most memorable cats I ever saw came during a Ducks Unlimited youth event several years ago at Mac's Bend boat launch on the Missisquoi River.
After the barbecue lunch, one of the adult volunteers impaled a large steak on a big hook and for laughs lobbed it out into the river. Twenty tense minutes later, he wrestled a huge 25-pound catfish up onto the bank as the assembled kids looked on in amazement.
"That was the most awesome fish I've ever seen," then state DU chairman Skip Thomas recalled. "It actually looked like a fish that would eat a streak."
Lawrence Pyne writes about the outdoors from his home in Cornwall.
Monkton Pond is one of a handful of inland waters in the Champlain Valley where catfish have been introduced. But Dumas's fish notwithstanding, Lake Champlain remains the place to go if you want to catch a giant cat.
Catfish are found throughout the lake, and are particularly abundant in its northern and southernmost reaches, as well as the lower sections of its larger tributary rivers, where water temperatures are more to their liking.
Catfish love warm water. They don't begin actively feeding until the temperature reaches about 60 degrees, and they don't spawn until it climbs into the mid-70s. Both of which make the late spring and early summer prime time to land a big cat.
Doing so is simply a matter of using stout tackle and a big, stinky bait. Catfish will eat just about anything they can get in their huge mouths, dead or alive, and they have a keen sense of smell and taste, with thousands of taste buds covering their flanks and long, whisker-like barbels. The smellier the bait, the better cats like it.
Cut bait, such as half a bluegill or white perch, is a time-proven producer, although the new baitfish rules prohibit anglers from using any panfish other than yellow perch as bait, and then only if caught from the water being fished.
Other productive baits include chicken livers, nightcrawlers, cheese balls, and commercial stinkbaits, the ingredients for most of which happily remain a mystery, although it's safe to say they are nothing you would ever want to eat.
The best fishing is at night, when hungry catfish go on the prowl. Look for shallow, weed-free flats and bays adjacent to deep channels and holes where cats lay up during the day. If the area is fed by a small, fertile tributary stream, so much the better.
Leave your bail open so fish can run with the bait before ingesting it. Then pray that your line is strong enough to handle whatever ate your bait.
But the truth is, you never know when or where a big cat will strike. One of the most memorable cats I ever saw came during a Ducks Unlimited youth event several years ago at Mac's Bend boat launch on the Missisquoi River.
After the barbecue lunch, one of the adult volunteers impaled a large steak on a big hook and for laughs lobbed it out into the river. Twenty tense minutes later, he wrestled a huge 25-pound catfish up onto the bank as the assembled kids looked on in amazement.
"That was the most awesome fish I've ever seen," then state DU chairman Skip Thomas recalled.
"It actually looked like a fish that would eat a streak."
Trophy Fish, Key West, 1958:courtesy of Monroe County Library, via Census of Marine Life
Great white whales. Schools of fish so thick they slowed boats. Sea monsters that could swallow a sailor whole. The last one may still be the stuff of lore, but scientists are using a curious series of census tools to gather evidence of an ocean that, as recently as decades ago, fairly teemed with marine life, far bigger and more plentiful that what's found in today's oceans.
Alone, the shipping logs and menus, woodcuts and photos, don't amount to much. But as a whole, the hundreds of thousands of documents being amassed for the Census of Marine Life project are proving uncomfortably telling.
Processing of a Right Whale Carcass:Reproduced from an 1887 paper by A. Howard Clark, U.S. Fish Commission courtesy Census of Marine Life
Take whaling, for instance. In most locations, humans have had an effect on local ocean ecology for millennia, even if they only started noting it a few hundred years ago. In New Zealand, however, humans didn't arrive until the late 1200s, so there's a relatively small amount of missing information. The team analyzed 150 logbooks and other documents spanning centuries of New Zealand history, and say (with depressing certitude of 95 percent) that within a hundred years of the introduction of whaling, the southern right whale population had dwindled about 500-fold.
Whaling is just a single piece of the puzzle. One researcher culled 50 years' worth of Key West fishing trophy photos to find that fish diversity and size has dwindled to a shadow of its former self (compare the photo above with the one below). Another pinpointed the point in time when equipment became technologically advanced enough for humans to make a major dent while on deep-sea expeditions -- the introduction of two-ship drag-netting in the 1600s.
And some of the documentation is just cool. A Sicilian text from 1153 mentions North Atlantic islanders who capture marine life so large they can build homes from the bones.
For years, scientists have been tolling the warning bell about sea life in general. One report marks 2050 as the end of sea fish. Whether that proves drastic or accurate has yet to be seen, but an understanding of the past may well be our best guide to the future.
"The History of Marine Animal Populations project gives a head start of decades and even centuries in anticipating trends -- both good and bad," says Jesse Ausube, director of the census project. "Forecasting and backcasting are two sides of the same coin."
Trophy Fish, Key West, 2007: courtesy of Monroe County Library, via Census of Marine Life
For many families, a prime vacation time comes in March or April when schools close for a week or more. People will like to visit the Caribbean famous for its diverse ecosystem ranging from cloud forests to cactus scrublands. The most visited place in the Caribbean is Trinidad and Tobago. In Trinidad and Tobagoyou can have the kind of holiday that dreams are made of.
Trinidad and Tobago is also famous for sport fishing and they have the TTGFA International Game Fishing Tournament which is held every year in Charlotteville on Tobago Island. The Trinidad and Tobago calendar is filled with exciting events. At any time of the year you can rest assured that there will be some activity in these Caribbean islands that you will enjoy. There are also water tours in Tobago for those who do not want to get their feet wet and would prefer looking at nature from the comfort of a boat. These are some of the exciting happenings every year on the Trinidad and Tobago calendar.
Half Moon Blue Resorts in Tobago offers excellent cuisine with the freshest seafood straight off the fishing boats along with many other delicacies. You can partake of an incredible meal as you listen to the waves crashing on the beach and sounds of the night birds. Wake up in your spacious suites that overlook the stunning Bacolet Bay, and the historic Fort St. George in Half Moon Blue Resorts in Tobago, the paradise retreat in the Caribbean for many families.
Half Moon Blue is happy to announce their Special Summer Rates from June 1 to July 31, 2009. The rates start from USD90.00/Night for single occupancy, Blue Room and$120.00/NforDouble Occupancy. Breakfast and all taxes included! If the stay exceeds 5 nights they offer the use of a Rental Jeep for one day at no cost.If stay exceeds 10 nights they offer a rental Jeep for two days at no cost plus 1x Dinner for 2 at the elegant Cafe Havana. Bookings can be made online at www.halfmoonblue.com (reservations). The bookings have to be made by May 21st, 2009
Check out the sites www.halfmoonblue.com and www.stayintobago.com for more details on the resort and the amenities. Also find out how easy it is to get to your spot in time for the festivities.
The small volcanic island off Africa's east coast is bursting with stray dogs—upward of 150,000, says Reha Hutin, president of the Paris-based Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis (the Thirty Million Friends Foundation).
Hutin sent a film crew to Réunion this summer to obtain proof that live animals were being used as shark bait. The goal was to expose the practice on the animal rights group's weekly television show.
It didn't take long for the film crew to find three separate cases, she said.
A videotape and photographs show the dogs with multiple hooks sunk deep into their paws and snouts.
"From then on everyone started to take the whole story seriously and realized it was true," Hutin said.
Photographic Evidence
A veterinarian successfully treated one of the canines, a six-month-old dog with a large fishhook through its snout (see photo), at an SPA (Société Protectrice des Animaux, or Animal Protective Society) clinic in Réunion's capital, St.-Denis.
Unlike most of the hooked animals, the dog was someone's pet, according to Saliha Hadj-Djilani, a reporter for the Thirty Million Friends Foundation's TV program. The dog had apparently escaped its captors and was taken to the SPA by a concerned citizen. Fully recovered, the animal is now home with its owners.
The other two cases uncovered by Thirty Million Friends were strays. They now live in France with new owners.
The foundation plans to finance a sterilization program on the island to reduce the stray overpopulation. But the job won't be easy.
Hutin said many locals view the strays as vermin. "There's no value to the life of a dog there," she said.
Stephanie Roche of the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, another animal-welfare group in Paris, confirmed that live animals are used as bait on Réunion. But, she said, it is not a common practice.
The Bardot organization has been fighting the practice for a decade. But this is the first time Réunion politicians have reacted strongly and swiftly to stop it, Roche said
Last month, it became illegal for fishing boats to carry any live or dead dogs or cats.
The French Embassy in Washington, D.C., issued a written statement condemning the use of dogs as shark bait, emphasizing that such acts are illegal and will not be tolerated in the French territory.
The embassy maintains these are "very isolated cases and authorities on the island are closely monitoring the situation."
Earlier this month the first court case was held involving a person charged with using live dogs as bait.
Authorities had found a seven-month-old puppy on John Claude Clain's property in July with three fishing hooks in its paws and snout.
Clain, a 51-year-old bread deliveryperson, was found guilty of animal cruelty and fined 5,000 euros (U.S. $5,982), according to Clicanoo, a Réunion newspaper.
The amateur fisher said he did not use the puppy as bait. Instead, Clain said, the dog had been injured by a trap he had set to protect his hens, the paper reported.
Clain's case isn't an isolated one, said Fabienne Jouve of GRAAL (Groupement de Réflexion et d'Action pour l'Animal, or the Grouping of Reflection and Action for Animals), an animal rights organization based in Charenton-le-Pont, France.
"Lately, almost every week, one dog has been found with hooks on the island, not counting the cats found on the beaches partially eaten by the sharks," Jouve said.
Once fishers capture the animals, she said, the dogs and cats are hooked "the day before, so they can bleed sufficiently."
Some escape before being tossed into the ocean. Others aren't so lucky.
After hooks are plunged into their paws and/or snouts, the animals are attached to inflatable tubes with fishing line and dumped into the ocean, Clicanoo, the newspaper, reports.
To avoid detection fishers place their bait in the middle of the night, according to the newspaper account. In the morning the men return to see if a shark has been caught.
"Barbaric practices have no excuses, whatsoever, in the 21st century," GRAAL's Jouve said.
(May. 11, 2009 - St. Marys, Ohio)... B.J. Baxter of Delphos, Ohio, won the Walmart Bass Fishing League Buckeye Division tournament on Grand Lake Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces. The victory earned Baxter $4,235 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Kentucky/Barkley Lake Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 15-17, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Hines said he caught the majority of his bass on a tube in bays sheltered from the wind.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Keith Wheelock of Beaver Creek, Ohio (five bass, 13-1, $2,118); Gary Ginter of Maplewood, Ohio (five bass, 12-10, $1,413); Dave Fishbaugh of Sidney, Ohio (five bass, 12-2, $988) and Jake Poffenberger of Brookville, Ohio (five bass, 11-7, $847).
Jeff Rain of St. Marys, Ohio, took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $590 for a 4-pound, 5-ounce bass he caught on a fire tiger-colored crankbait on his last cast of the day. Scott Clark of Thornville, Ohio, earned $2,078 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 12 pounds, 3 ounces. Clark said he caught the majority of his bass on a tube. Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Steve Sorrell of Beaver Creek, Ohio (five bass, 11-15, $1,039); Bryan Hoffman of Stoutsville, Ohio (four bass, 10-3, $691); Keith Humble of West Liberty, Ky. (four bass, 8-10, $485); and Todd Owens of Middletown, Ohio (five bass, 8-3, $416).
James McWhorter of Hamilton, Ohio, earned $285 as the co-angler Big Bass winner with a 4-pound, 12-ounce bass he caught on a black/green pumpkin soft-plastic worm. The next Buckeye Division event will be held on Indian Lake in Lake View, Ohio, June 20.
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers in each of the BFL’s 28 divisions at the end of the season advance to a no-entry-fee Regional Championship where boaters fish for a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck and co-anglers fish for a new Ranger boat. Seven regional championships will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the no-entry-fee Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy, which features a $1 million purse and a top award of $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to a Regional Championship are eligible to compete in the Chevy Wild Card, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total of 48 boaters and 48 co-anglers advancing through BFL competition.
The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American will advance to the no-entry-fee $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup in Atlanta in 2010. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the most lucrative tournament in all of competitive bass fishing. In all, the BFL offers weekend anglers the opportunity to qualify for three no-entry-fee championships with total cash awards exceeding $3.5 million. Plus, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from each BFL division may move up to the Stren Series for 2010 while All-American champions have the option to advance directly to the Walmart FLW Tour.
In BFL competition, boaters supply the boat and compete from the front deck against other boaters. Co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.
As the nation’s leading provider of affordable, close-to-home weekend tournaments, the BFL is widely credited with opening competitive bass fishing to the masses. It also serves as a steppingstone for anglers who wish to advance to the Stren Series and ultimately the FLW Tour - bass fishing’s most lucrative tournament circuit.
Total awards are based on a full field of 200 boats in every tournament.
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 is taking 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.
I am writing this in the hope that some of you will read this and sign the following petition.
At the moment over here in Portugal, certain agencies of the government are planning to pass a law that if implemented will mean the killing of all the carp, (along with quite a few other species like pike, European perch, largemouth bass, wels catfish to name a few) in all the nations waterways.
They are planning to do this because they see carp (and the rest) as exotic species after reading some European report about environmental impacts caused by so called "exotic species".
The following is a direct translation taken from a paper the ICNB (the Conservation Institute for Nature and Biodiversity) in Portugal have written up for the local government.
"It's (the carp) responsible for the unbalance of structure or functionality of the fish communities in slow waters (still waters), in particular in the reduction of the aquatic plant diversity (Doadrio, 2001). The Common Carp has the tendency of destroying all the aquatic vegetation and making the waters murky. Through this they cause the destruction of the habitat for native species which need clear waters and vegetation in order to survive"
This is a farce and it just shows to what extent the type of mentalities us anglers here in Portugal are up against. The main, if not the only, reason there is so little plant life in most of the lakes in Portugal is due to the fluctuations in the water levels during the year. After a good winter the lakes are full and once spring arrives the aquatic plant life starts to grow in abundance. The problem is that by mid July, early August it is so hot that the water levels have dropped so much and so fast that 90% of these aquatic plants are left high and dry. They simply have no chance is creating proper weed-beds. This in turn leaves the lake beds barren and in turn makes it easy for the lakes to become murky with just the slightest of wind current. To you, me and 99% of the rest of anglers this is all common sense, but to the so called "experts"... need I say more.
Nuno Lopes
Andy Little - 23lbs
Chris - 52lbs 13
Just below this, in the same section they basically state that the carp are classified as one of the worst invading species in Europe.
Once on the page just click where it says "Assinar Petição" (Sign the petition), you will then be taken to a page requesting the following details:
Nome (name) Comentários (comments) Email BI (ID number, Passport Number or Driving License Number) Localidade (Your Location, London, Liverpool etc).
If they get away with doing this over here, you never know, other places here in the EU might follow. Imagine the impact on the tackle industry too. Just think about that for a second.
Please forward this to anybody you think will sign this petition. It does not have to be a fellow angler, ALL SIGNATURES COUNT.
Fox International is pleased to announce the creation of a new and completely FREE event for 2009 - The Fox Fishing Experience.
Following the huge success of the Fox Carp Experience in 2008, Fox has decided to expand the 2009 event to cover all disciplines: carp, match, predator and even sea fishing!
The Fox Fishing Experience will also be over two days and will take place at the awesome Willow Park Complex, Ash Vale, near Farnborough. The dates are August 1 and 2.
Steve Cole, Fox International's media and publicity manager, feels the event will be a must-attend show for anglers all around the country: “The emphasis of The Fox Fishing Experience is to give anglers the opportunity to come along and learn more about fishing with the help of our top anglers. We'll have workshops, rig clinics and on-the-bank fishing demonstrations all aimed at helping you become a better angler.
“We'll also have a mass of new Fox tackle available for anglers to actually try for themselves in a completely non-selling environment! You won't have salesman trying to get you to part with your cash. This event is purely about letting anglers try a Fox rod and reel for themselves, with our anglers also giving them tips on how to cast further, for example.
“You can also expect loads of competitions taking place throughout the event, giving anglers as many opportunities as possible to walk away with some free Fox tackle!” explained Steve.
Fox's anglers in attendance reads like a 'Who's Who' of fishing. Expect to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ian Chillcott, Colin Davidson, Mick Brown, Bob Nudd, Alan Yates, Chris Clark, Mark Pollard, Mark Barrett, Chris Rose, Steve Spurgeon, Tom Maker plus many more!
Exact details of the many attractions planned for this two-day Fishing Show will be released in the coming months, but anglers can expect:
Fox Rig School Marquee
New Products Exhibition
Fox Arena - slideshows and Q&A Forums
Casting Area - try Fox rods and reels
Spodding Championship
Carp Fishing demonstrations
Match Fishing demonstrations - Bob Nudd, Mark Pollard, Derek Willan
Predator demonstrations - Mick Brown and Mark Barrett
The Billfish Foundation has joined with IGFA and NCMC to mount a U.S. campaign to persuade consumers to avoid consuming billfish and get chefs across the nation to "Take Marlin Off the Menu". TBF believes this tactic is the perfect compliment to our international efforts to conserve billfish and promote sustainable sport fishing. When we can reduce the demand and the market for billfish we reduce the incentive to kill these magnificent fish. Visit our campaign site by clicking here.
TBF Photo Contest
TBF is looking for a great photo for the next cover of Billfish magazine, and it could be yours!
The Billfish Foundation is finally on Facebook. Request to add us as a friend today- our username is Billfish TBF.
Once you become our friend, please join our Cause as well... and recruit your friends to join!
We will be updating our profile soon with more information to keep you continually updated on what we are up to and where we are going. Stay tuned for more!
FOX POLLACK CHALLENGE Brighton Marina 6th April 09 The Fox sponsored Pollack Challenge was loosely based around the American boat bass fishing events with each angler allowed to landed five pollack, although it was the biggest fish that took the prizes. The event was organised by the Skipper of Brighton Charter boat, Brighton Diver, Paul Dyer and Brighton Marina tackle Shop owner, Dave Grinham. 15 boats took part including charters and privateers with Keith Arthur of Sky’s Tight Lines in attendance along with Fox Consultant Alan Yates who awarded the prizes. The anglers could fish anywhere they wished with an 8 hour duration times with all boats back on the dock by 4pm.
Winner with a 15lb 12oz specimen pollack (14lb is the national specimen size) was Brighton rod, Nick Davies who fished aboard Channel Diver. His prizes included a Fox Tri Tip and a Fox 12-20lb boat rod, plus trophy and a bottle of Champagne. Second was a tie with fish of 15lb 2oz between John Mickleham on Starwalker and Frank Scott on Great escape. Fourth was Chris East on Morning Breeze with 13lb 10oz and fifth was Frank Humprey on his private boat Tailwalker, sixth was Perry Barclay on Great Escape. Best junior was Connor Boxnick with a fish of 10lb.
Top charter skipper was Steve Johnson of Channel Diver and best private boat Frank Humprey on Tailwalker.
Top lures proved to be a mix of jelly worms and shads with the winning boat, Channel Diver catching on the new Blue Tempest shads – Steve Johnson the skipper reckoned the trick was to change the drift regular to keep in contact with unspooked fish.
Tactics play a vital – part in match fishing from the shore and at this time of year fishing for the small fish in close at gutter range is a favoured tactic . However, plopping for rockling is not every angler’s favourite tactic and that was the case in my latest beach match at Hythe. I was determined to catch better quality fish and not lower my sights to rockling so I persisted in blasting bigger baits as far as I could throw it. Including a couple of fresh out yellowtail I pumped an hour before the match start. With a few minutes to go and only a whiting and dab in the bucket I realised I was on the wrong tactic when my short casting neighbour reported 11 small pout, rockling and dabs. But then the rod tip dipped and the line slackened and on the whistle a plump 2lb plus codling stole the show. The moral of this tale is that when it comes to tactics its better to make you mind up and stick with one than keep chopping and changing – A mistake many match anglers make!
If you want to know more about pumping lugworm then check out the next issue of Sea Angler magazine (439) The Masterclass feature goes into detail and better still tells you where to get one of the latest state of the art bait pumps. The new narrow bore stainless steel pumps are the bees knees and my current best single effort after four sessions is 120 worms – OK so its not a British record but I tell you what 120 worms for a fishing trip for me is plenty.
New Hampshire (Reuters) – From his wooden fishing shack on Lake Winnipesaukee's thinning skin of ice, Mike MacDonald doesn't need to think twice about why more Americans are going "fishin'" in the deepening U.S. recession.
"This costs $6 to get a bucket of bait and it will last the whole day," he said, skinning a fish next to a hole drilled into the frozen New Hampshire lake. "Compare that to skiing -- one day of skiing would cost $80 just for the lift ticket."
As Americans forgo expensive vacations, costly dinners and shopping mall splurges, many are opting instead for the quiet simplicity of fishing, according to the sport fishing industry and reports from bait shops and fishermen.
From the icy north to fly-fishing streams in Texas, angling is on the rise. For families, it's an inexpensive outing. Those with a knack for it can trim their grocery bills. And for newly unemployed, it's something to do.
"I'm seeing a lot more fishermen down here," said John Miller, owner of Bob's Sport & Tackle in Katonah, New York. "With the economy the way it is, people are getting laid off from work and don't want to sit at home and do nothing.
"The cheaper alternative," he said, "is to go fishing."
Hard times have had this effect on Americans before. In the last U.S. recession, from 2001 to 2002, spending on fishing rods and reels rose 12 percent to $343 million, according to the National Sporting Goods Association, a trade body that measures how much people spend on sporting goods.
That can add up. When including the cost of fishing rods, tackle boxes, lures, lines and other equipment, recreational fishing in the United States is a $2.2 billion industry, according to the association's data, which excludes spending on fishing tourism, clothing and fishing lessons.
Sports network ESPN added 44 percent more pages than planned to an insert in its "Bassmaster Magazine" aimed at saltwater fishermen because of advertiser demand, the Walt Disney Co-owned network said last week, citing demand from suppliers of equipment and boats to bass enthusiasts.
In Texas, fishing license sales have increased considerably in recent months, said Tom Harvey, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "We suspect it's because the price of gasoline has come down considerably and thus facilitated more driving and boating," he said.
In the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, where there is a stream stocked with trout in the winter, Mike Hamilton, a 47-year-old fly fishing pharmacist, said fishing close to home was something he could do without breaking the bank.
"I'm not into spending a whole lot of money on my recreation," he said on a cold March morning, standing in the stream with fly rod in hand.
'SIMPLE AND PRETTY CHEAP'
In February, amid a bombardment of dire news on the U.S. economy, an annual ice fishing derby on Lake Winnipesaukee drew nearly 5,500 people -- among its best seasons ever and up about 7 percent from last year.
"All you need is a license and then you can come out, cut a hole in the ice and fish," said Steve O'Brien, who has fished there since November. "It's simple and pretty cheap."
Nearby at A.J.'s Bait & Tackle shop, owner Alan James Nute said fish bait sales are up 25 percent this season. He attributes some of that to one of the frostiest winters in memory -- the ice is about a foot thick -- but said the bad economy is also drawing crowds.
"We've had one of our best Januarys and Februarys ever," said Nute. "We've had cold winters before but this winter seems better. I think a big part of the reason is that fishing is just really cheap. Just about anyone can do it.
"Some people's hours have been cut at their work or they've now got weekends free. Or they lost their jobs outright and what else are they going to do?"
In 2007, as the U.S. economy began skidding into recession, spending on fishing rods and reels hit a 10-year high of $356 million, the National Sporting Goods Association said. Data for last year is not yet available.
"The one little treat people are giving themselves these days is getting out and going fishing and getting away from it all," said Mel Berman, who runs a fishing talk-radio show in Florida, a major destination for anglers.
George Taylor, owner of Taylor's Trading Post in Madbury, New Hampshire, said he's seeing more families buying bait. "When the kids have time on their hands, fishing is a good alternative instead of spending money on other things like the movies," he said.
Bait fisherman John Konz, 65, who works at a waste water treatment plant in Texas, said low costs were among the factors that lured him to angling. He rigged up his rod near the bank of a stocked trout stream that cost $5 to access.
"What else can you do for $5 a day or whatever?" he said. "How can you go wrong?"
The One and only World Fishing Toolbar and Social Site covering all aspects of Fishing around the Globe. If you fish you have to catch this. http://worldfishing.ning.com/
That’s some expensive fish. Taking three undersized swordfish may end up costing four Broward County, Florida men $10,000. NOAA issued a “notice of violation and assessment” to the owner, permit holder, boat operator and fisherman of the fishing vessel “No Mercy.”
The case was referred to NOAA by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). In December, FWC Officer David Weis stopped a commercial fishing boat in the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Everglades. Officer Weis then performed a marine fisheries inspection.
Two men -- a captain and a fisherman -- were on board at the time. The men had caught six swordfish, three of which were under the legal length and weight limits, Weiss reported. Federal regulations specify a minimum length of 29 inches from cleithrum to caudal keel or 33 pounds dressed. If in whole condition, the swordfish must be 47 inches long, lower jaw fork length.
“We hope this case serves as deterrence,” said FWC Lt. Dave Bingham. “Taking undersized swordfish has costly consequences.”
Four people are facing federal fisheries law violations. The men were in their 20's and 30's and being commercial fishermen, knew what the law was. This is a small part of the reason we face ever smaller bag limits and fishing restrictions. Frankly, I would hope the fine would be $10,000 each!
Below is a list of possible Fishing Groups that you can start your own group on this site covering
Sea Fishing, Course Fishing, Fly Fishing, Big game Fishing and
Charter Fishing.
Baits, Boats, Charter Boats, Rigs, Cooking Fish, Fly Fishing, Lake Fishing, Multiplier, Fixed Spool, River fishing, Rods, Sea Angling, Shark Fishing, Casting, Fishing Rigs, Big game Fishing, Fishing chat, Beach Fishing, Float Fishing, Bait, Charter Boat advertisement, And any other Fishing Group that I have missed.
If you are unsure on how to set up your own, Fishing Website and or only want a small website that can expand if you wish to put your particular sort of fishing on say
“Pike & Plugs Group”
Start the group today on World Information Toolbar a dedicated website to FISHING.
Be part of a large fishing network, add your Group, and get help and information from the other groups. Therefore, if you have wanted to start a fishing Group for some time that you can add Pictures, Chat, Video with your own Group Email and your own group Page.
World Fishing Toolbar
By adding your Fishing Group this will also give access to one of the biggest social network
TWITTER
Search for WorldFishing on TWITTER notice no spaces.
February 24, 2009–Fishers and scientists announced this week the catch, and release, of what is likely the world’s largest known freshwater giant stingray.
The giant stingray, weighing an estimated 550 to 990 pounds (250 to 450 kilograms) was reeled in on January 28, 2009, as part of a National Geographic expedition in Thailand.
The stringray’s body measured 6.6 feet (2 meters) wide by 6.9 feet (2.1) meters long. The tail was missing. If it had been there, the ray’s total length would have been between 14.8 and 16.4 feet (4.5 and 5 meters), estimated University of Nevada Biologist Zeb Hogan.
Hogan was in Thailand searching for giant fish as part of the Megafishes Project—an effort to document Earth’s 20 or so freshwater giants.
The new find gives Hogan hope that the giant stingray, once overfished, may be more abundant than previously thought. And it may confirm the giant stingray as the heavyweight champ of the Megafishes Project.
“Honestly, we just don’t know how much it weighed. But it’s clear that the giant stingray has the potential to be the largest freshwater fish in the world,” said Hogan, also a National Geographic Emerging Explorer. (National Geographic News is owned by the National Geographic Society.)
“The Thai populations were once considered critically endangered, although with the discovery of new populations the stingray’s abundance appears higher than previously believed,” added Hogan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the freshwater giant stingray as vulnerable.
Last March Hogan found a 14-foot-long (4.3-meter-long) ray near the Thai city of Chachoengsao. (See previous giant stingray news and video.)
Freshwater giant stingrays are among the largest of the approximately 200 species of rays. They can be found in a handful of rivers in Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
Much is still unknown about the mammoth ray species, including whether or not it can swim out to and survive at sea. The species was first described scientifically only in 1989.
Hogan and his colleagues are still looking for new varieties and populations of the giant stingray.
The Swordfish Extravaganza- Wednesday, March 11th at the IGFA Hall of Fame & Museum
You are invited to attend The Swordfish Extravaganza, presented by the Swordfish Club, being held from 6-10pm on Wednesday, March 11th at the IGFA Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida. Mark Sosin will be the Master of Ceremonies for this unique seminar that will cover all aspects of Swordfishing, from beginners to professionals. The evening will start out with a group seminar before breaking into specialized stations including: bait rigging, wiring fish, daytime fishing, night fishing, trolling and much more!
Presenters will include such swordfish experts as Captains Richard Stanczyk, Dean Panos, Ray Rosher, Bouncer Smith, RJ Boyle, Tom Greene, Mike Tice, Andy Novak, Josh Brown, Tony DiGiulian, Skip Smith, Bo Jenyns and Professor Arthur Mariano. A raffle will be held featuring many prizes; the grand prize winner will test their new found skills on a Swordfish Trip with Captain Bouncer Smith!
This event is limited to 300 people and tickets are only $20. Doors open at 6pm for Registration. There will be a cash bar. For more information, please contact Captain Skip Smith.
Dear Fishing Director Todd Staley, Capt. Anthony & First Mate Eider -
Just want to thank you once more for the most
OUTSTANDING fishing I've ever had.
I landed my first marlin, pompano, roosterfish, broomtail grouper,
jack crevalle, blue jack, some nice dorado,
and my largest sailfish ever this year (and 23 more to boot!).
After over 30 years of trying, Audie not only landed his first sail
but caught SEVEN more.... he was in the clouds.
You guys really know what you're doing & run a world class operation.
I know you can't enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed the trip,
but here they are. Thanks again ...I'll be back!
- Mark Doolittle
Amberfish
Kay Doolittle Adds the Following:
We still love the whole Crocodile Bay experience.
It far exceeds anything else we've done in travel:
~ Fishing was above & beyond anything we've seen prior. All boat were clean & well maintained with excellent crews. Anthony & Eider were a dynamic duo. Anthony's chatty (in English) & Eider moves like the Green Hornet. Suspect Anthony gets his gab from Mom, Olimpia, who's now managing the front desk area. Todd & Ricardo really took care of Mark when he booked an extra day of fishing (we went out with Edwin that day - another excellent captain.)
~ CB's Spa continues to amaze! It's so modern, elegant & professional! The power went out a couple times during my facial (I was able to exchange the coupon since I don't "do massages"). The technician, Delmise just kept on going by candlelight & she didn't skip a beat. Mark said he felt wonderful after his very first Swedish Massage & will be going back to the spa again next trip. Mark would definately like to come back next year for the same length of time.
~ The almond trees in arboretum area lining the road to the pier seem to be attracting lots of scarlet macaws & lesser parrots. Also saw white faced monkeys eating water apples within close sight of that road in the mornings while walking. Enjoyed toucans & iguanas & even a Basilisk/"Jesus Christ" lizard or two right on the grounds without even having to hunt them out.
~ The switch from buffet to menu was an excellent idea. Not nearly as wasteful for the lodge; served INdoors (which I prefer) where it's clean & cool, and the offerings are varied and nicely prepared. I ate both raw & grilled fish all but one night, but no matter what one ordered, you were sure to be served cheerfully & professionally with a plate that looked AND tasted delicious. All three of us agreed the menu format is a lot easier on the waistline too!
~ Other folks partaking in eco tours were elated with their experiences. You were right about our rooms - they were THE BEST! Housekeeping staff is fastidious and acommodating. As always, we thank you VERY much, Art, for taking such good care of us.
A Fishing Gadget on Google Gadgets, so you can put this one right up there on your Google home page. With Sea Fishing, Fly Fishing, Charter Boats, Disabled Fishing & Course Fishing generated by rss this gadget up dates every 24 hours keeping you right up to date with fishing Information from around the World as well as the UK.
I enjoyed a great trip to Ireland to fish the European Federation of Sea Angler, Irish Winter beach Festival at Wexford and Waterford, despite some of the worst weather on the Irish South East coast for years. The gales and rain battered competitors fishing all three days and I was glad of a set of neoprene chest waders. The entry included a large number of International anglers from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. It is an event I helped to start back in 1988 along with Dave Houghton of Leisure Angling, Liverpool.
Nowadays EFSA Ireland have taken on the organisation, arranging accommodation for visiting anglers at Sean Og’s hotel in Kilmuckridge with competitors pegged on the nearby beaches over the three days, although on this occasion several sheltered venues had to be used including Cheekpoint 40 miles away in Waterford. I have won the Winter Beach event four times including the first two year and then again later in the nineties, but since I have only been placed, but this year, despite a mediocre draw I ended as individual EFSA Irish Winter Beach Champion with a last cast flounder on day three to win by a single point from Ian Golds of Portsmouth who was second on count back from my son, Richard Yates of Deal and Saul Page who also tied for second, but claimed third and fourth prizes on count back. That’s a span of 21 years between first and most recent wins at the event – To say I am pleased is an understatement, but the twenty points I scored in the Penn National Sea league for an event with over 200 competitors and my current total of 32 points for January is something of a personal record as well as a change of angling fortune, it’s nice to get lucky occasionally and my reward was a beautiful crystal glass vase from Waterford Glass plus a bundle of Euros but best of all was the winning and trouncing a few next peg top rods on the way. Incidentally I used a Fox Envoy and Abu 6500 premier whilst my son Richard fished with the Fox Matrix and a Daiwa Mag.
Full result:1 Alan Yates, England 66pts; 2 Ian Golds, England, 65pts; 3 Richard Yates, England;4 Saul Page, England 65pt; 5 Dave Dobbie, Scotland 63pts; 6 Alan O’Dowling, Ireland,63pt; 7Joe Byrne, Ireland 59pts; 8 Bill Lindfield, England 59pts; 9Michael Quinn, Ireland 58pts; 10 Neil Marsh, England, 57pts.
Four Man Team: 1 Alan Yates, Saul Page, Neil Marsh, England; 2 Jock Goudie, Jimmy Connell, Iain Reid, Dave Dobbie, Scotland; 3 Brian Maxwell, David Neil, Brian Burn Sandy Wason, Scotland.
Pairs: 1 Saul Page, Neil Marsh England; 2Dave Dobbie and William Kennedy Scotland; 3Gordon Thornes Bill Lindfield England.
Other zone winners: Alan O’Dowling, Ireland; Michael Quinn, Ireland; Dave Lovelock, Bristol; Gordon Thornes, Connors Quay
February is always the coldest month and by the looks of the weather nothing changes and its sure to shut down the shore fishing in many regions. A run of codling are expected in the lower North Sea and there are already signs that despite the very low temperatures the codling are there. Hot South East venues in the coming months are Aldeburgh dirty Wall, Orford, Walton and Clacton piers, Gravesend and Dover’s Admiralty pier which has recently produced a catch of 16 fish between 2lb and 3lb, nothing bigger although Dover Breakwater can produce the bigger codling as spring starts to appear and the daffs are up in my garden.
Clubs and Club anglers - Don’t forget to enter a team in the new Sea Angler Clubman league competition – It’s open to all angling clubs and is aimed at club evening fixtures. Team, members are automatically entered in the individual event. E Mail teams (4) names and details to me at: Alankyates@aol.com
Or fill in the entry form in Sea Angler magazine. The actual fishing does not start until 1st MAY 09 –
Bite Me is looking to enter the 2009 Blue Marlin World Cup and seeks an angler or team of anglers to compete in this years one day tournament. Vanuatu is believed to be the hot blue marlin destination for South Pacific anglers but what most people don't realise is the excellent blue marlin fishing found in Fiji's waters. Its time to put Fiji on the blue marlin map and what better way than to take out the Blue Marlin World Cup. There is no other big game tournament like it in the world. The World Cup Blue Marlin Championship is fished for one day only on July 4th, and for but a single species, blue marlin. Some of the world's finest offshore anglers and crews compete across the world's oceans on that day to see who can catch the single heaviest blue marlin over the 500 pound minimum. On the fourth of July, 2009, the 25th annual running of the event will take place.
Each angling team will fish in their time zone from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. There are no restrictions on where teams can fish. Some of the popular hot spots for large blue marlin include the west coast of Africa, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Azores, Madeira, Ascention Island, Bermuda, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica, Mexico, the US east and Gulf coasts, Hawaii, Australia and the South Pacific islands. During the 24th annual World Cup the lead changed hands 3 times from Madeira to Bermuda and finally to Kona, Hawaii where angler Michael Corbino fishing aboard the Ihu Nui with Captain McGrew Rice weighed in a 773 lb blue to win a tournament record of over $450,000.
Registration fee to enter the World Cup is $3000 for the team. The World Cup recognizes only one winner. There is no second place. Any blue marlin under 500 pounds or below the weight that may have been reported by another team is to be released. If you are intersted in competing aboard Bite Me, drop the skipper a line at adrian@gamefishingfiji.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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They are planning to do this because they see carp (and the rest) as exotic species after reading some European report about environmental impacts caused by so called "exotic species".
Winner with a 15lb 12oz specimen pollack (14lb is the national specimen size) was Brighton rod, Nick Davies who fished aboard Channel Diver. His prizes included a Fox Tri Tip and a Fox 12-20lb boat rod, plus trophy and a bottle of Champagne. Second was a tie with fish of 15lb 2oz between John Mickleham on Starwalker and Frank Scott on Great escape. Fourth was Chris East on Morning Breeze with 13lb 10oz and fifth was Frank Humprey on his private boat Tailwalker, sixth was Perry Barclay on Great Escape. Best junior was Connor Boxnick with a fish of 10lb.
Amberfish
Nowadays EFSA Ireland have taken on the organisation, arranging accommodation for visiting anglers at Sean Og’s hotel in Kilmuckridge with competitors pegged on the nearby beaches over the three days, although on this occasion several sheltered venues had to be used including Cheekpoint 40 miles away in Waterford. I have won the Winter Beach event four times including the first two year and then again later in the nineties, but since I have only been placed, but this year, despite a mediocre draw I ended as individual EFSA Irish Winter Beach Champion with a last cast flounder on day three to win by a single point from Ian Golds of Portsmouth who was second on count back from my son, Richard Yates of Deal and Saul Page who also tied for second, but claimed third and fourth prizes on count back. That’s a span of 21 years between first and most recent wins at the event – To say I am pleased is an understatement, but the twenty points I scored in the Penn National Sea league for an event with over 200 competitors and my current total of 32 points for January is something of a personal record as well as a change of angling fortune, it’s nice to get lucky occasionally and my reward was a beautiful crystal glass vase from Waterford Glass plus a bundle of Euros but best of all was the winning and trouncing a few next peg top rods on the way. Incidentally I used a Fox Envoy and Abu 6500 premier whilst my son Richard fished with the Fox Matrix and a Daiwa Mag.
