CA DFG Enhances Urban Trout Planting Efforts in Sacramento Region

CA DFG Enhances Urban Trout Planting Efforts in Sacramento Region
The California DFG is enhancing its urban trout planting program in the greater Sacramento area by adding an additional 16,000 catchable size rainbow trout. Area waters will be systematically planted over the next three to four weeks (late February and early March) as close to the weekends as the planting scheduling allows. The waters to be stocked include:

William Land Park
Southside Park
Willow Hills Pond
Gibson Ranch Park
Granite Park, Hagen Park Pond
Mather Lake
Howe Park
Elk Grove Park

Urban fishing opportunities are especially beneficial to new and young anglers and are part of the larger DFG effort to help new and experienced anglers enjoy fishing.

"One of DFG's goals is to increase urban fishing opportunities whenever possible," said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham. "This gives youth a chance to experience the outdoors right in their communities, and gives busy parents an opportunity to spend quality time with their children without extensive travel costs and planning an entire weekend around a long-distance fishing trip."

DFG supports urban angling opportunity in all of its regions. The 14 trout hatcheries operated by DFG around the state work to provide consistent numbers of trout for planting in more than 2,000 waters statewide so that people can fish close to home. All anglers age 16 and older need to have a current fishing license as required by state law.

Media Contact
Joe Johnson, DFG Fisheries Branch, (916) 358-2943
Harry Morse, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8907

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South Dakota GFP Urging Anglers To Use Extreme Caution On Ice

PIERRE, S.D. – Due to an unseasonably warm winter and recent rains in many areas of South Dakota, the state Game, Fish and Parks Department is urging sportsmen to use extreme caution when venturing onto the ice of lakes, rivers and ponds.
“We want people to be as safe as possible,” said GFP Assistant Wildlife Director Emmett Keyser. “There was a tragic drowning this week in Pierre, and we are getting reports of vehicles and anglers breaking through the ice across the state. We haven’t had good ice for most of the winter, and it seems to be getting worse every day.”
Keyser said anglers in South Dakota should not take any vehicles – including cars, pickups, all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles – onto the ice because it is not safe.
Those who are going ice fishing should take precautions, such as not fishing alone, bringing plenty of rope, keeping ice-safety picks in their clothing, wearing life jackets and protecting their cellphones in zip-lock bags.
“Above all else, use common sense,” Keyser said. “If ice looks rotten, it probably is. With the warm winter we have had, there isn’t much safe ice. So if it looks bad, don’t venture onto it.”

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Wave Plastics Now Available at Cabela’s!

YANTIS, Texas — Paul Whitman Jr., President of Wave, announced today that Wave plastics will now be available at select Cabela’s locations throughout the country.
“We’re proud of this expansion,” said Whitman. “It makes our products available to a wider range of consumers and will allow more anglers to benefit from our fish catching designs and colors, including our new Super Soft Pro series.”
“Anglers can now purchase our 5-inch Super Soft Pro Tiki-Stick, 5-inch Bamboo Stick, 4-inch Swim Bug and 5-inch Tiki Moko Lizard in a wide range of fish catching colors at the following Cabela’s locations: Owatonna, Minn.; Rogers, Minn.; Kansas City, Mo.; Fort Worth, Texas; Allen, Texas; Hazelwood, Mo.; Buda, Texas; Gonzales, La.; Glendale, Ariz.; Hamburg, Pa.; East Hartford, Conn.; and Scarborough, Maine.
For more information about Wave products call (903) 383-3573. Media should contact Larry Thornhill at (919) 603-5681.

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Vicious Eyewear by ONOS Hits Tackle Warehouse

MOBILE, AL - Ono's Trading Company revealed today a new retail relationship with Tackle Warehouse for the full line of Vicious Polarized Sunglasses. Tackle Warehouse is retailing the new line of performance eyewear for $59.99.

The new Vicious Polarized Sunglasses feature three bold frame designs - Fierce, Savage and Malice with a total of 11 models. They feature polycarbonate polarized, grey or amber lenses for 100 percent UVA/UVB protection and TR-90 frames for durability. For a full list of product specs, visit TackleWarehouse.com.

"It's exciting to see Vicious Polarized Sunglasses available to consumers through a trusted online retailer. We think that when an angler gives these glasses a try, they will be not only be pleased with the high quality of the eyewear, but with money that is left in their wallet," said Ono's Chris Nelson.

Vicious Polarized Eyewear Pro, Marty Stone, added, "I can tell you first hand that you can spend more on a pair of 'shades', but I do not think you will buy any better. The lens quality, frame quality, and overall comfort is off the chart. And you can actually afford to by multiple pair to meet the changing conditions while fishing."

The new Vicious Sunglasses are available for purchase now at TackleWarehouse.com.

Fierce Model, Vicious Polarized Sunglasses

ABOUT TRADING COMPANY
Ono's Trading Company markets stylish sunglasses with 100% UVA/UVB protection through stores, catalogs and online. ONOS sunglasses serve all outdoor vision requirements, including the single vision SV-360 model, the prescription ORx model, and the patented polarized low-reader (PLR) sunglasses with the magnification enhancement system for close-up vision tasks in the outdoors. Contact Chris Nelson, National Sales Manager, 1606B Industrial Park Circle, Mobile, AL 36693-5648. Phone 1-866-865-4695. Fax 1-251-338-0414. Email Nelson at chris@onos.com. On the Internet, visit http://www.onos.com

Media Contact
Chris Nelson, National Sales Manager (866) 865-4695 or chris@onos.com

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EverStart Series Central Division Headed To Table Rock Lake

EverStart Series Central Division Headed To Table Rock Lake
KIMBERLING CITY, Mo. - The EverStart Series is headed to Table Rock Lake March 1-3 when as many as 300 pros and co-anglers take to the water for the first of four stops in the Central Division.

"It has been unseasonably dry and warm in Southeastern Missouri," said Pickens Plan pro Randy Blaukat of Joplin, Mo. "The fish never stopped biting; it has been like a pre-spawn all year. It is going to fish more like the first week of April rather than the first week of March.

"Anglers should be able to find fish just about any place they go on the lake and do well," Blaukat continued. "I think I would concentrate on the lower third. The water tends to be a little more clear and the fish seem to be a little more active down there.

"There are a lot of crawdads that the bass are feeding on now - I would try using crawdad crankbaits. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs will work as well."

According to Blaukat, the mild winter has kept the bass shallow. He believes that anglers will be surprised at how shallow they will be able to catch fish. Normally the bass would be suspended out deep this time of year, however, right now the bass are bank-oriented and he thinks anglers will be successful fishing in 5-foot depths.

Anglers will take off from Port of Kimberling Marina located at 72 Marina Way in Kimberling City, Mo., at 7 a.m. daily. Weigh-in on Thursday and Friday will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's final weigh-in will move to Walmart located at 18401 State Highway 13 in Branson and begin at 4 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.

Pros will fish for a top award of $35,000 plus a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award consisting of a Ranger 177TR with 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.

The EverStart Series consists of five divisions - Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title along with $5,000 for the pro and $2,000 for the co-angler. The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each respective division will qualify for the EverStart Series Championship that will be held on the Ouachita River in Monroe, La., Nov. 1-4.

The EverStart Series tournament on Table Rock Lake is being hosted by the Port of Kimberling Marina.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the EverStart Series on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

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2011 N.H. Trophy Fish Winners Announced

CONCORD, N.H. -- The winners of New Hampshire's 2011 Trophy Fish Program
have been announced by Don Miller, Fisheries Biologist and Trophy Fish
Program Coordinator for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The
program gives fishing enthusiasts of all ages an opportunity to receive
recognition, while providing biologists with important information on the
state's fisheries over time. The Trophy Fish Program was created in the
1970s, although the state's record fish information dates back to 1911.
"Over the years, through the Trophy Fish Program, we have received valuable
data on fish populations not normally reported to us," Don Miller noted.
"And almost every year, a new state record is reported, which says a lot
about New Hampshire's fisheries."

All successful applicants receive a "Trophy Fish" shoulder patch. Then, each
February, the person who caught the largest fish in each species category is
presented with a special certificate.
There are 22 freshwater species and seven saltwater species categories for
both kept and released fish. All ages and all legal methods of angling are
represented.

During 2011, 15 categories of "catch and release" species and eleven
categories of "kept" fish were represented in Trophy Program entries, and
five state records were set. It was notable that of the 75 entrants, 19
anglers (or 25%) were under 20 years old. And these kids are serious
anglers! Eight-year-old David King of Manchester caught a 9-pound, 3-ounce,
33-inch long cusk while ice-fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee. Nine-year-old
Christopher Richardson of Springfield, N.H., set a new record for channel
catfish when he reeled in his 11-pound, 3.52-ounce fish from the Connecticut
River.

Eight-year-old Mary Elaine Algeo of Rindge brought home a trophy largemouth
bass that weighed in at 5 pounds, 8.64 ounces and measured 22.25 inches in
length, from Pearly Pond in Rindge. Nineteen-year-old Molly Metivier of
Keene trolled Willard Pond in Antrim and came up with a state-record tiger
trout weighing 3 lbs., 8.64 oz. and measuring 20 inches in length.

Greg Whitmore of Barrington and Steve Whitmore of Hooksett both caught and
released 25-inch-long Eastern chain pickerel a month apart on the Lamprey
River and tied for top spot in their category.

A new state record for pumpkinseed was set and matched this year. Back in
2010, John Viar, a Fish and Game fisheries biologist in the Lakes Region,
tied two existing records with his catch of a 9.5-inch-long, 12.48-ounce
pumpkinseed. His father, James Viar, had caught his record pumpkinseed back
in 2005, tying the 1984 record of Marcel LeBel. Three fish with the same
weight and lengths – spanning 26 years – had tied for State Record! But in
March of 2011, Fish and Game’s Mark Beauchesne broke the long-standing tie
with a new state-record pumpkinseed out of Lake Winnipesaukee, weighing in
at 13.6 ounces. The story doesn’t end there! John Viar came back in November
and again tied the record with his own 13.6-ounce pumpkinseed from Lake
Winnipesaukee.

A complete listing of all entries, plus links to application forms, rules,
records and winners from past years can be found at
http://www.fishnh.com/Fishing/trophy/2011.html.

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Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to Meet in Mobile, Alabama

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will meet January 30 - February 2, 2012, at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. Agenda highlights are summarized below. For a copy of the detailed agenda or to review briefing book materials, please visit the Council web site at www.gulfcouncil.org or call 888-833-1844.

The Mackerel Management Committee will meet Monday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to review scoping documents for Amendments 19 and 20. Amendment 19 considers no sale of recreationally caught fish and various permit issues, Amendment 20 considers boundary changes and transit provisions. The Shrimp Management Committee will meet at 4:00 to review data from the 2011 Texas Shrimp Closure and determine whether to continue the closure in 2012. At 4:30 the Council will hear a brief update on the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP).

The Reef Fish Committee will meet all day Tuesday and part of Wednesday to hear a presentation on the Red Snapper IFQ Five-Year Review Survey Results. The Committee will also review and discuss:

Final Red Snapper Regulatory Amendment - Fall Closed Season Revision & 2012 Annual Catch
Options Paper for a Regulatory Amendment for Red Snapper Weekend/Weekday Openings
Gray Triggerfish Update Assessment
Final Action on Amendment 34 - Crew Size and Income Requirement
Final Action on Amendment 35 - Greater Amberjack
Option Paper for Vermilion Snapper ACL Framework Action
Scoping Document for Amendment 36 - Red Snapper IFQ Transferability
Reef Fish Amendment 33 - LAPP Program
Reef Fish Framework Action for Red Snapper Payback Provisions for Overages
Also on Tuesday, the Council and NOAA Fisheries will hold an informal Question and Answer session on general fishery management issues.

On Wednesday, the Joint Mackerel/Reef Fish/Red Drum Management Committee will meet to discuss starting an amendment to develop biomass-based stock status definitions, followed by the Data Collection Committee and the Artificial Reef Committee.

The Spiny Lobster Management Committee will meet to take final action on Amendment 11 - which considers two actions: 1) Creating new closed areas to reduce the impacts of lobster traps on protected coral species and 2) Requiring markings for spiny lobster trap lines to allow identification of trap lines entangling protected species.

The full Council will convene Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. Public comment will begin at 3:15 p.m. Testimony will be heard on the following:

Reef Fish Amendment 34 - Crew Size and Income Requirement
Reef Fish Amendment 35 - Greater Amberjack
Red Snapper Regulatory Amendment - Fall Closed Season Revision & 2012 Annual Catch Limit
Spiny Lobster Amendment 11
Exempted Fishing Permits (if any)
The Council will also hold an open public comment session immediately following public testimony, until 6:15 p.m. Comment cards must be completed before the start of public testimony. Open public comment gives members of the public an opportunity to address the Council on fishery issues that may not be on the agenda.

Beginning Thursday, the Council will deliberate and take action on committee recommendations made earlier in the week. The meeting is expected to conclude Thursday by 4:45 p.m.

Although other non-emergency issues not on the agenda may come before the Council and Committees for discussion, in accordance with the M-SFCMA, those issues may not be the subject of formal action. Actions of the Council and Committees will be restricted to issues specifically identified in the agendas and any issues arising after publication of this notice that require emergency action under Section 305(c) of the M-SFCMA, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to take action to address the emergency.

The established times for addressing items on the agenda may be adjusted as necessary to accommodate the timely completion of discussion relevant to the agenda items. In order to allow for such adjustments and completion of all items on the agenda, the meeting may be extended from, or completed prior to, the date established in this notice. Meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids should be directed to Kathy Pereira at the Council office at least five days prior to the meeting.

About Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is one of eight regional Fishery Management Councils established by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. The Council prepares fishery management plans, which are designed to manage fishery resources within the 200-mile limit of the Gulf of Mexico.

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