Czerwinski on <b>fishing</b>: Influence the future

This is the time of year we pause to reflect on our lives and give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received. Despite all the rough times we’ve gone through in recent weeks, we’re still fortunate to be a nation whose blessings are many.

And that includes those among us who hunt and fish.

Perhaps you’ll sit down to dinner tonight and feast on a turkey you harvested yourself. That’s a great feeling, and I’m a little jealous.

Or maybe, instead of standing toe-to-toe with pushy crowds in a stuffy mall, you’ll head out this weekend in search of a jumbo trout the state recently has stocked. You can’t put a price tag on that.

We have so many beautiful places to spend time outdoors. Even though we live in such a densely populated part of the country, none of us is very far from a wonderful wooded escape where you can fish and bask in the joy of nature.

It truly is amazing. For that, we all should be thankful.

But along with that thankfulness, it’s also important to play the role of steward. And for anglers, the state provides a great opportunity to do that when the Division of Fish and Wildlife holds its annual public forum to discuss freshwater fisheries culture, research, management and recreational angling in New Jersey.

This year’s event is scheduled for Dec. 1 at the State Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown. The forum will begin at 10 a.m.

Anglers are invited to share their views and recommendations for the future of freshwater fisheries research and management in New Jersey with staff biologists. Preliminary results of the recently completed trout angler telephone survey, as well as 2012 field sampling results, will be presented.

Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions on any aspect of the division’s fisheries management programs. They take your input seriously, so that means you have a chance to help guide the development of New Jersey’s freshwater programs and the regulations that govern them.

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Gift Ideas For Florida Anglers

By Bob Wattendorf

Catch a fish and catch a smile.
Bob Wattendorf/FWC

Holiday season is upon us. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or simply enjoy having a few days off to celebrate with family and friends, coming up with appropriate gifts is a challenge for all of us.

The key to gift giving is matching the present to the individual, while making sure it is something they’ll enjoy, is hopefully good for them and not too expensive. And if it helps Mother Nature too, maybe that’s the perfect gift. With that in mind, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has several suggestions for last-minute gift giving.

How about an offering guaranteed to create a happier, healthier and more productive lifestyle? Richard Louv, chairman emeritus of the Children & Nature Network and author of “The Nature Principle” and “Last Child in the Woods,” has made a solid case, supported by years of research, that connecting with nature results in those benefits. Whatever your age, being able to spend time in nature brings us back to our true roots – the ones that connect us with the earth and nurture us.

In a time when frantic schedules, enclosed spaces and constant noise tend to drive us a little crazy, it is a real gift to take some time to commune with nature and relax. Getting outdoors with family and friends not only gets you moving and burning off some of those excess holiday calories but can open the door to better communications.

So the trick is how to give the gift of the great outdoors to yourself, your family and friends. Fun and recreation sounds like a good place to start, so how about planning a fishing trip or nature hike? The Outdoor Foundation published a special research report this year that stated:

“Perhaps more than any other form of recreation, fishing and boating are critical to the health and well-being of America’s outdoor heritage. By boat and on land, the first outdoor experience for many Americans is fishing, introducing tens of millions of people each year to the wonders of nature. Fishing also serves as an important bridge and top ‘gateway’ activity that leads participants to other outdoor passions.”

Chuck Leach qualified for the Trophy Club with this 10 pounder from Lake Lizzy, Osceola County.
FWC

So why not invite your family and friends on a fun fishing trip, right here in Florida – the Fishing Capital of the World (FishingCapital.com)? An annual resident fishing license is easy to obtain. Simply go to license.myfwc.com, call 888-Fish-Florida, or visit a local retailer that sells fishing tackle and licenses. A five-year freshwater fishing license makes an especially great gift. While you are purchasing the license, you will also have the opportunity to make a donation to the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network to help the FWC with “Creating the next generation that cares.”

An annual freshwater fishing license costs just $17, but because the average angler fishes 17 times a year (U.S. Census Bureau research) and enjoys four to five hours on a typical trip, the cost is less than a quarter per hour of fun and healthy recreation. When you purchase a license you are also providing a gift to nature and future generations of anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. For 75 years, the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program has guaranteed that all across the country fishing license fees are protected by law so that they can only be used within the state where they are sold for fish and wildlife conservation. Moreover, fees collected by the federal government on fishing tackle, pleasure boats and motor boat fuels provide additional funding for recreational fishing and conservation based on how many anglers buy fishing licenses in each state.

While putting a fishing-related gift pack together, you can find lots of information about fishing tips and gear at MyFWC.com/fishing and find fishing sites and up-to-date forecasts. One of the most fun tips is to have everyone register for Florida’s freshwater angler recognition programs, including TrophyCatch and Big Catch. Just for registering, people are eligible for a Phoenix 619 Pro bass boat and trailer, with a Mercury outboard and Motor Guide trolling motor. That drawing will be in October 2013.

Big Catch recognizes anglers with certificates and discounts for catching fish from any of 33 different freshwater species in Florida that simply exceed a specified length or weight. The program has reduced sizes for youth under 16 to help them get recognized for their developing prowess as anglers. For those seeking additional challenges, there are specialist (five Big Catches of the same species), master (five Big Catches of different species) and elite angler (10 Big Catches of different species) certificate levels. There are even black bass, bream and exotic slams for catching multiple species within a specific time frame.

Jackson releases a 9-pound lunker in a neighborhood pond in Osceola County.
FWC

However, for the hard core freshwater anglers who travel from all across the world to fish Florida’s fresh water, the penultimate catch is a trophy largemouth bass. The FWC and corporate partners are now rewarding anglers for reporting those fish and then releasing them to challenge another angler and keep the fishery thriving.

TrophyCatch includes three tiers to encourage reporting and live-releasing bass heavier than 8 pounds that are caught in Florida waters. Bass 8 to 9.9 pounds (Lunker Club) or those 10 to 12.9 pounds (Trophy Club) that are caught, documented and released can be reported online at TrophyCatchFlorida.com any time of the year. All that is required to qualify for prizes is a photo of the fish on a scale with the weight visible, and one on a tape measure or ruler showing the length. Bass heavier than 13 pounds that are caught between Oct. 1 and April 30 each year must be checked by FWC staff to enter them into the Hall of Fame Club.

The angler who enters the biggest bass of the year into TrophyCatch will earn a Super Bowl-like ring, from the American Outdoors Fund. If it is caught in Osceola County, the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will award the angler $10,000. In addition, if the angler is on a guided fishing trip, the guide will receive $2,500 from the CVB. This challenge is heating up with several great bass already reported from Osceola County. To keep informed, please “like” us at Facebook.com/TrophyCatchFlorida.

A "Go Fishing" bass tag is a great gift for any angler and supports conservation in Florida.
FWC

Another great gift for anglers that will help them boast about their sport while supporting the future of conservation is to buy a “Go Fishing” Largemouth Bass license plate, which can be displayed on vehicles or trailers. Simply go to Buyaplate.com, or a gift certificate may now be purchased at an authorized motor vehicle office.

Enjoy your holidays and a lifetime of active nature-based recreation: Get Outdoors Florida!

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Sasser: Ethel, with whom state began lunker program, should get spot in Hall <b>...</b>

Nominations are open through December for 2013 inductees into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Anyone can fill out a nomination form, available at tpwd.state.tx.us/fresh
waterfishinghalloffame, or call 903-670-2255 for necessary paperwork and details.

The Hall of Fame is housed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. Twenty-four

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<b>Bass</b> dying as Wide Bay Water dithers over fishway design

Tags:  burrum river, council, fish ladder, fishway, no 1 dam, wide bay water

Bass are dying in the Burrum River's tidal saltwater near the dam at Howard because the fish are unable to get back into the freshwater, via the existing fish ladder, after spawning. Tracey Joynson

FISH are still dying in the Burrum River while Wide Bay Water Corporation dithers over a design for a fishway on the No 1 dam at Howard.

Eight years after Lenthall Dam was raised, on the condition that a new fishway be built, a detailled design has still not been produced.

The upcoming change in the water body's corporate structure has also put a hitch in proceedings. 

WBWC acting chief executive officer Garry Storch said they did not want to "take a decision without talking to the council about what they would like to do with it".

"We'll be taking it up with them in the next week or two as to how they'd like to proceed," he said.

Mr Storch said they had not been satisfied that the designs they had looked at were going to work appropriately.

"We've got to make sure it's not a white elephant," he said.

"We've got to judge it against cost.

"From a purely environmental (and) fishing point of view, we should be doing it."

Environmentalists and anglers have been fighting to have a new fishway built to replace the existing fish ladder at the No 1 dam on the Burrum River at Howard. Tracey Joynson

Mr Storch said it was difficult to judge the success of a fishway and they had looked at designs but had not come to any conclusions.

But environmentalist Graham Berry, who has been involved in the fishway discussions all the way along, said a WBWC manager told the council's environmental advisory committee  in February that the Burrum fish ladder was at the detailed design stage and tenders would be called in May or June for construction to be completed in 2013. 

He said even though installing a new fishway was a condition of raising Lenthall Dam in 2004, no timeframe was attached.

Meanwhile, throughout September and October, observers noted a steady stream of bass dying in the river's tidal saltwater near the No 1 dam because the fish were unable to get back into the freshwater via the existing fish ladder after spawning.

Way back in 2008, the Greater Mary Association criticised the water body was for its "tardiness" in building the fishway.

At the time, water CEO Tim Waldron said it would be easy to build a large concrete structure in the middle of the river that didn't work.

"We do not want to build something that is not going to work," he said.

"We are looking for the right long-term answer."

In September, 2010, WBWC acting CEO Peter Care said $3.2 million had been set aside to build the new fishway to ensure it was completed before the end of the 2012-13 financial year.

Mr Care said the fishway benefits included improving, or allowing, adult fish - particularly Australian bass and barramundi that lived in the freshwater reaches of the Burrum system but moved into the saltwater to breed - access to and from spawning habitats, the dispersal of juvenile fish such as barramundi and mullet to new habitats, access to feeding habitats, the recolonisation of habitats and access to and from refuge areas during droughts or floods.

"We are committed to improving the health of our waterways and our environment department is working closely with stakeholders to ensure a beneficial outcome for fish stocks and habitats," he said at the time. 

Mr Berry said he was a little frustrated by the delay in installing a new fishway but was confident it would be built, "it's just a matter of when".

If you've had the opportunity to travel recently, don’t overdo it it could be catching up with you.  Retreat a little and...

more

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It&#39;s peak season for blackfish and striped <b>bass</b>, trout stocking programs <b>...</b>

Kenney: Plenty of fish still in the sea - New York Daily News NYDN Home?CollectionsKenney: Plenty of fish still in the seaALEXANDRA KENNEYThursday, November 22, 2012

Welcome to the season for holidays and hibernating. Various plans for rebuilding our area’s hurricane-damaged shores are being discussed or are even under way. And in a couple of months the marine industry will launch its showbiz schedules as planned.

So anglers, don’t be discouraged from enjoying our first-rate saltwater and freshwater fishing. Remember it’s peak season for blackfish and striped bass. Check with party boat captains for cold-weather schedules. Some switch to res-only charter bookings. A hardy few fish year-round. You might also head to Wakefield. R.I., to board one of the cod-capturing Island Current boats wintering at Snug Harbor Marina.

Freshwater fans are reminded that trout stocking programs are now underway, especially on Long Island and throughout New Jersey. That means the trout are big and hungry.

In terms of a progress update, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all posted have all posted helpful Hurricane Sandy updates on their fish and game websites. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently approved New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s request for a federal fishery resource disaster declaration which will trigger coordinated federal efforts to help rebuild decimated fishing industries in both New Jersey and New York.

Plus the Army Corps of Engineers has begun working to close storm-caused breaches on the east and west sides of Long Island’s Moriches Inlet. So rebuilding progress is being made.

This weekend’s nautical notes include a Fishermen’s Flea Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus building, 400 Broadway, in Lindenhurst, L.I.

Flipping to 2013 calendar pages, the New York Boat Show anchors at Javits Center from Jan. 3-6. Browse, maybe buy, one of the vessels on display. That includes luxury motor yachts, sport fishers and performance boats.

The agenda includes interactive boating seamanship workshops, a daily series of fishing tips and a new power-boat docking challenge. The show also features an indoor heated pool, providing a chance to scuba dive or paddleboard. Adult admission is $15 and accompanying youths under age 16 are free. Purchase advance tickets or view special event schedules at www.NYBoatShow.com

1 | 2 | NextFEATURED ARTICLES10-year-old gives birth to baby boy SEE IT: Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel's wedding photoPsy's 'Gangnam Style,' explained!More:Israel is not the problem Rare photos capture ‘First Lady’ Jackie Ariz. woman convicted in dog-sex case jailed due to clerical errorLife's grand on the sand for Misty and KeriFIRST LOOK: Jenny McCarthy nude at 39 in PlayboyJesse Jackson Jr. at clinic for depression RELATED ARTICLESBass, blackfish and cod anglers have it down cold
November 18, 2011New York Boat Show at Javits Center coming, Garden State...
January 14, 2011New York Today: Free and Cheap Events, January 20 2011
January 20, 2011 © Copyright 2012 NY Daily News.comTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyIndex by DateOriginal ArticleIndex by Keyword

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Kenney: Plenty of <b>fish</b> still in the sea

Kenney: Plenty of fish still in the sea - New York Daily News NYDN Home?CollectionsKenney: Plenty of fish still in the seaALEXANDRA KENNEYThursday, November 22, 2012

Welcome to the season for holidays and hibernating. Various plans for rebuilding our area’s hurricane-damaged shores are being discussed or are even under way. And in a couple of months the marine industry will launch its showbiz schedules as planned.

So anglers, don’t be discouraged from enjoying our first-rate saltwater and freshwater fishing. Remember it’s peak season for blackfish and striped bass. Check with party boat captains for cold-weather schedules. Some switch to res-only charter bookings. A hardy few fish year-round. You might also head to Wakefield. R.I., to board one of the cod-capturing Island Current boats wintering at Snug Harbor Marina.

Freshwater fans are reminded that trout stocking programs are now underway, especially on Long Island and throughout New Jersey. That means the trout are big and hungry.

In terms of a progress update, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have all posted have all posted helpful Hurricane Sandy updates on their fish and game websites. The U.S. Department of Commerce recently approved New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s request for a federal fishery resource disaster declaration which will trigger coordinated federal efforts to help rebuild decimated fishing industries in both New Jersey and New York.

Plus the Army Corps of Engineers has begun working to close storm-caused breaches on the east and west sides of Long Island’s Moriches Inlet. So rebuilding progress is being made.

This weekend’s nautical notes include a Fishermen’s Flea Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus building, 400 Broadway, in Lindenhurst, L.I.

Flipping to 2013 calendar pages, the New York Boat Show anchors at Javits Center from Jan. 3-6. Browse, maybe buy, one of the vessels on display. That includes luxury motor yachts, sport fishers and performance boats.

The agenda includes interactive boating seamanship workshops, a daily series of fishing tips and a new power-boat docking challenge. The show also features an indoor heated pool, providing a chance to scuba dive or paddleboard. Adult admission is $15 and accompanying youths under age 16 are free. Purchase advance tickets or view special event schedules at www.NYBoatShow.com

1 | 2 | NextFEATURED ARTICLES10-year-old gives birth to baby boy SEE IT: Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel's wedding photoPsy's 'Gangnam Style,' explained!More:Israel is not the problem Rare photos capture ‘First Lady’ Jackie Ariz. woman convicted in dog-sex case jailed due to clerical errorLife's grand on the sand for Misty and KeriFIRST LOOK: Jenny McCarthy nude at 39 in PlayboyJesse Jackson Jr. at clinic for depression RELATED ARTICLESBass, blackfish and cod anglers have it down cold
November 18, 2011New York Boat Show at Javits Center coming, Garden State...
January 14, 2011New York Today: Free and Cheap Events, January 20 2011
January 20, 2011 © Copyright 2012 NY Daily News.comTerms of ServicePrivacy PolicyIndex by DateOriginal ArticleIndex by Keyword

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Lake Norman providing Carolinas&#39; best <b>fishing</b> action

? use (Ctrl + Shift + L) to tag bold leadins of lake names

Lake Norman providing Carolinas’ best fishing action

Lake Norman presently is producing the best freshwater fishing action – by far – among reservoirs in the Carolinas.

Anglers are boating limits of largemouth and spotted bass averaging about 3 pounds each. It took five fish weighing 18.35 pounds to win a tournament at Norman last weekend.

The bass mainly are striking Alabama rigs and shallow-running crankbaits such as Wiggle Warts and Speed Traps cast to the shoreline.

LAKE NORMAN: Good for crappie on minnows and Kalin jigs worked 10-15 feet deep around brush. Catfish back in the creek channels on cut baits.

LAKE WYLIE: Continuing very good for channel catfish 15-25 feet deep in the creeks, mostly on cut white perch. Crappie 10-20 feet down around brush and docks on minnows.

MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE: Improved for crappie on minnows.

RANKIN LAKE, GASTONIA: Catfish on crawlers and earthworms.

CANE CREEK PARK LAKE: Fair to good for crappie on minnows and jigs.

YADKIN/PEE DEE RIVER LAKES: Crappie at all reservoirs – High Rock, Tuckertown, Badin, Tillery and Blewett Falls – on minnows. Catfish on cut baits and shad on Sabiki rigs in the Pee Dee River below Blewett Falls Dam.

LAKES JAMES, RHODHISS, HICKORY: Improved for smallmouth bass at James on shiners worked off the points. Fair for crappie at Rhodhiss. Little activity at Hickory.

FONTANA LAKE: Good for smallmouth and spotted bass on shiners fished 40 feet down off the points.

LAKE WATEREE: Very good for largemouth in the creeks and shoreline pockets on a variety of crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Fair for striped bass off rocky points shoreline on crankbaits, rattling lures. Crappie 18-20 feet deep on minnows fished just off the bottom around points low the lower part of the lake, and along the river ledge in the upper portion.

LAKE MURRAY: Crappie 10-15 feet deep around bridges and brush, mainly on minnows.

LAKE THURMOND: Stripers, hybrids from Parksville to the Highway 378 Bridge. The fish are suspended 20-50 feet deep over 70-80 feet of water and are taking live herring.

SANTEE COOPER LAKES: Little activity.

LAKE HARTWELL: Largemouth 20-30 feet deep on Blade Runner lures and drop-shot rigs. Also, some bass around docks, brush. Stripers, hybrids in scattered surface schools from the mid-lake area to the dam. Also, stripers and hybrids are taking live herring worked 50-70 feet deep over 130 feet of water in the river channel.

LAKE KEOWEE: Good for largemouth and spotted bass in surface-feeding schools near creek mouths. They also are hitting drop-shot rigs.

LAKE JOCASSEE: Little activity.

OUTER BANKS: Nags Head area: Red drum in the surf. Speckled trout in the surf when the water is clear; Oregon Inlet area: Little activity; Hatteras Island: Puppy drum in the surf from Buxton to Hatteras Village. Plentiful blackfin and yellowfin tuna offshore; Ocracoke Island: Little activity; Morehead City area: Good to excellent for speckled trout in the surf, around jetties and in the backwaters on MirrOlures and soft plastic lures. Whiting in the Turning Basin and along the beach in the surf. Good blackfin tuna and wahoo offshore when sea conditions are favorable.

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. COAST: Speckled trout and red drum in the lower Cape Fear River, at Mason’s Inlet and around the Masonboro jetties. Speckled trout and reds along the beach at Surf City.

S.C. COAST: Little River/Cherry Grove area: Small blues, whiting; Grand Strand area: Very good for spottails in the creeks on finger mullet. Big reds around the jetties. Speckled trout in Murrells Inlet, at Pawleys Island and from the piers; Charleston area: Reds in the backwater grass; Beaufort area: Excellent for big reds in the 30-pound range around the rock piles off Bay Point on cut bait and around sandbars just off the beach. Speckled trout in the marshes on shrimp worked under a popping cork around the grass edges.

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