April events at Texas <b>Freshwater Fisheries</b> feature fun, food, fishing

There’s no better example of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department motto “Life’s Better Outside” than April events at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Outdoor Fools Day April 6 will be followed by the Athens Big Green Egg Fest April 13. Up to five rainbow trout per angler can be harvested free at TFFC during both events. No license is required to fish at TFFC. Those wishing to harvest fish should bring a cooler or stringer since none are available at TFFC.

Improving your outdoor skills is the focus of Outdoor Fools Day. The event showcases outdoor recreation opportunities in East Texas while teaching some of the skills needed to enjoy them, such as camping, fishing, outdoor cooking, birding and more.

Openings are still available for cooks, so if you’ve been thinking about becoming an Egghead, now’s your chance. You can sign up to cook, taste or buy an Egg at www.athenseggfest.wordpress.com. The site also includes recipes from last year’s event to tempt your taste buds.

Both Outdoor Fools Day and the Big Green Egg Fest will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. While all Outdoor Fools Day activities are free with paid admission, an additional fee is charged for tasting at the Big Green Egg Fest. Those who preregister online can taste for $5; the fee on-site is $10. All proceeds benefit the Friends of TFFC.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is located at 5550 F.M. 2495 in Athens, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, and $3.50 for children age 4 through age 12.

For more information visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc or call 903-676-2277. A TFFC app is also available for both Apple and Android devices from their respective app stores.

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of alvinsun.net.

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Is New Zealand&#39;s <b>Freshwater Fishing</b> Under Threat?

Could the future quality of New Zealand's world-famous freshwater fishing be under threat? The Chief Executive of Fish and Game New Zealand seems to believe so and has made a plea to local anglers to send comments on proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) and also the Freshwater Reform Proposals before the submittal deadlines of April 2nd and 8th 2013.

The below message was sent to all subscribers of 'Reel Life' - the newsletter of Fish & Game New Zealand.

25th March 2013

Future of freshwater fishing under threat 

The present government is hell-bent on wrecking the RMA. The key points are as follows:

The RMA is being dramatically changed to allow the development and degradation of sports fish and game habitat by farmers and industry.Lowland streams will have no legal recognition so will become 'farm drains'.Water Conservation Orders will ultimately go, with their previously recognised habitat protection and recreation values lost in one- size-fits-all 'regional plans'.Practically all the substantive case law that has been developed over the years around environmental protection (much of it with Fish & Game licence fees), will be lost.Current protection of the habitat of trout and salmon will be scrapped.

This is a plea for all anglers to ensure they have their say on the future of the RMA, the only real safeguard we have against rampant, unsustainable development of the freshwater resources trout and salmon rely on for survival.

You only have until 5.00pm April 2, 2013 to submit on the RMA.

Submission on the equally devastating Freshwater Reform proposals must be received by 5.00pm April 8, 2013.

Don't worry if you have never made a submission before – it can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it, the most important thing is that you have a say.

Information on how to make a submission, suggested points to make in your submission, and where to send it are on our RMA resource page here.

Please, stand up for freshwater quality protection and the future of angling in this country – it's in your hands.

Bryce Johnson 

Chief executive 

Fish & Game NZ

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54.3-pound blue catfish sets new mark for Texas <b>Freshwater Fisheries</b> Center

ATHENS—Jordan Rethmeier of Garland and his father often fish in Lake Zebco, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center’s stocked casting pond. They’ve caught some big catfish, but Saturday, March 16, produced the biggest yet, a new water body record blue catfish.

Jordan reeled in a 54.3-pound fish that was 47 inches long and 31 inches around.

Lake Zebco covers about 1.5 acres. A stream enters one end of the pond, and fishing piers line both sides. At the opposite end the pond widens and deepens, and that’s where Jordan was fishing.

“The bait was a whole four-inch gizzard shad set two to three feet below the bobber and left to drift as the wind blew it across the pond,” he said. “I was using a heavy spinning reel with 50-lb. braided line on our standard big-fish pole that we never thought would get seriously tested by anything. We set the pole down and flipped the bail so if it got a bite the fish wouldn’t haul off with it; it’s a good idea if you want to keep your rod and reel!”

Jordan sat down to rig a trout pole, and suddenly his dad yelled, “Jordan your bobber is gone and it’s not coming back up!”

Jordan continued his story. “The fish took the bait as all the other big ones do in that pond. They grab it and start swimming off. There is no playing around with those catfish. Once they decide to eat it, they rarely if ever let go. He took off on his first run, and I felt his full power! My eyes got big when I saw the huge swirl he made on the surface of the water! My dad said he must be a good one, 15 maybe 20 pounds.

“This fish was big and fighting like it; you could feel the power in every tail stroke! When he would start to get close to shore he would peel off line and head back for the middle of the pond. The difference with this fish was the endurance he had. He just would not tire out and kept peeling line whenever he would get close to the bank. There was one point when he went into a roll, and I thought I was going to lose him. When they do that it sometimes dislodges the hook. We didn’t get a look at him for quite a few minutes, but after each run, my dad kept raising his guess as to his weight, 20 to 25, another run, 30 pounds?

“Then we caught a glimpse of him and my dad just said, ‘OH MY! We may need a golf cart to haul him to the scales!’ The fight must have lasted eight minutes or more—just a tug of war with him taking line whenever he came in close and me pulling him back in afterwards. Thankfully he got tired out just before I did! I pulled one last time and got him close in, where my dad managed to grab him and pull him up on shore with my assistance since it was a bit too heavy for him alone. We both were speechless, and just knew we had a BIG one but didn’t know how big! Fortunately a TFFC staff member arrived with the golf cart to put him in, and it was off to the big scale. I was exhausted! We weighed him and measured him and couldn’t believe the numbers! 54.3 pounds, 47 inches long, and 31 inches around! All I could do was smile. We took him back to the pond and made sure he was doing OK and let him go. Truly a magnificent fish!”

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<b>Freshwater</b> sport <b>fishing</b> brings substantial revenue to the province of BC.

Freshwater fishing's economic impact has grown to over $500 million dollars a year in direct spending, and this economic activity is spread across all regions of the province.

Participation in freshwater fishing is also growing and predictions are the trend will continue, according to the results of the just-released 2013 BC Freshwater Sport Fishing Economic Impact Report. The report also highlighted potential for future growth - and showed that reinvestment of fishing licence revenues in BC's stocking, conservation and angler outreach programs is yielding increasing economic returns.

Using data from the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada, which has been conducted every five years since 1975, the report shows that the number of active anglers province wide grew 6% from 2005. These anglers represent over $546 million a year in direct expenditures on goods and services including accommodation; fishing, boating and camping equipment; licence sales; packages; air and ferry transportation expenditures and fishing supplies. After adjusting for inflation, freshwater fishing annually contributed $23 million more in direct expenditures than in 2005. Anglers also spent more per fishing day, $142 and $131 per day in 2010 and 2005 respectively.

While the benefits of this expanding industry are felt across the province, specific impacts vary by region. The Cariboo region received 11% of angling effort in the province, and was one of the preferred destinations by international anglers. The direct economic impact of freshwater fishing for the Cariboo region is $57 million. The Thompson-Nicola region received 18% of provincial angling effort, second only behind the Lower Mainland. The Thompson-Nicola region also placed second in total fishing package expenditures, with almost $4 million being spent on lodge, guided charter boat and fly-in fishing packages. The direct economic impact for the Thompson-Nicola region is $99 million.

"Angling is an increasingly important industry in the province - one that has remained strong despite the economic slowdown in 2008," says Don Peterson, President, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. "It's positive news for the province as a whole. A significant number of BC anglers live in urban areas and fish in rural areas, which represents a transfer of economic activity from urban to rural."

Freshwater sport fishing brings substantial revenue to the province of BC.

Highlights from the report include:

3,119 person years of employment (up from 2,500 person years in 2005)286,167 active anglers (up from 270,800 in 2005)$545 million in direct angler expenditures (up from $480 million in 2005)Every $1 invested in services delivered by the Freshwater FisheriesSociety of BC returned an average of $24 in angler expenditures (up from $21 in 2005).

"BC's user-pay model of fisheries service delivery is having a positive impact on enhancing public fishing opportunities and is also generating positive economic outcomes for the province," says Peterson.

The FFSBC is a private, not-for-profit organization largely funded by anglers through freshwater fishing licence revenues. It works in partnership with Provincial fisheries managers to deliver fish stocking programs that support 50 per cent of all fishing in B.C. lakes, conservation fish culture services for sturgeon recovery programs, and initiatives to enhance participation and access to fishing for all British Columbians. Stocking programs deliver between 6 and 8 million fish annually in 800 lakes and streams throughout the province. Through these programs, the FFSBC is working to ensure BC has the best freshwater fishing in North America.

Freshwater Fishing and the BC Economy was commissioned by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC and was prepared by Megan Bailey (Environmental Policy Group, Wageningen UR) and U. Rashid Sumaila (Fisheries Centre, UBC).

The economic impact estimates in the document are based on the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada.

For more information and to see the full report visit the FFSBC's website at www.gofishbc.com.

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<b>Freshwater fishing</b>

March 15, 2013

Santee Cooper System

Catfish: Fair. In both lakes the catfish bite has been inconsistent, with fish feeding well some days and other days being a little slower. After a prolonged period of low water temperatures the catfish’s metabolism will inevitably slow and they will feed less. Move from deep to shallow water depending on the location of the fish. Try drifting gizzard shad chunks or anchoring with cut baits, and don’t be afraid to look shallow. Crappie: Fair. With the cold water crappie fishing has dropped off, and fish are in a winter pattern. Fish are moving out of brush and moving along the ledges and creek channels.

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Midlands area

Lake Wateree

Catfish: Good. Catfish are scattered across the mudflats in 18 to 20 feet of water. Fresh gizzard shad or cut perch are among the most productive baits, and perfect bait sized 4 to 5 inch gizzard shad are thick in the channel and can be cast netted with a heavy cast net of 8 foot diameter or more. Look for the continuous band of bait from 20 to 30 feet down. Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass fishing has slowed considerably in the last couple of weeks although live shiners or herring in the lower part of the lake will still produce. Look for schools of bait in the Colonel’s Creek area. Largemouth Bass: Slow. Lake Wateree bass fishing remains difficult and the fish seem to be turned off. Try finesse fishing very slowly with soft plastics, or slow roll spinnerbaits along the bottom.

Lake Greenwood

Catfish: Good. Drift cut bait across shallow flats at these times. A cold snap will push the baitfish back out to deeper water and slow the fishing considerably. Crappie: Good. Crappie action has been good at the forks of the Reedy and Saluda Rivers, and also below the 72 Bridge in the Quarters Creek area. Drifting and spider rigging in 12 to 20 feet using worms and jigs seems to be the ticket. Striped Bass: Fair. Few striper reports are coming in, but the best striper action is being reported jigging spoons in 25 feet of water. There is still some schooling activity being reported.

Lake Monticello

Catfish: Good. Patience is very important right now to catching big blues on Monticello. The most consistent way to catch big fish is to anchor on humps with baitfish nearby when you are marking fish underneath them; it make take the catfish a long time to feed, but eventually they will.

Lake Murray

Crappie: Fair to good. Lake Murray crappie fishing has been feast or famine recently, and on some days anglers are wearing the fish out and then the next day no one seems to get a bite. Most anglers are concentrating on the Kempson’s Bridge area up the lake and tight-lining in 10 to 12 feet of water. Purple and yellow jigs are the go-to color. Catfish: Fair to good. Blue cat bite is inconsistent from day to day, and the fish seem to be scattered and moving a lot. Best action is coming for channel and white catfish, which are holding in 10 to 15 feet of water on flats adjacent to the channel. Drifting cut herring is most effective. Largemouth Bass: Slow. Anglers fishing recent tournaments have had tough time, and just weighing in a fish has usually been enough to at least put you in the middle of the pack. Despite warmer air temperatures bass have stayed deep; try Carolina rigging with green worms or fishing Tennessee shad or shad colored crankbaits.

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Piedmont Area

Lake Russell

Crappie: Fair. Fish small to medium minnows or slider jigs in 6 to 12 feet of water around tree tops. Largemouth Bass: Slow. After feeding well for much of the early winter the largemouth bite has really slowed down. Try live herring or jigging spoons in deep water by the Lake Russell dam in 30 to 50 feet. Striped Bass: Slow. Very few fish are being caught right now.

Lake Thurmond

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. After being down for several weeks the striper fishing has really improved, and even some bank fishermen report really getting into the fish. There is good fishing in the Little River area, and the fish are starting to stack up down close to the dam. However, these fish are not feeding aggressively, although they may turn on when water temperatures start to warm. Crappie: Good. Look for 20 feet of water in creeks and fish only 2 to 4 feet below the surface. Best jig colors are black and chartreuse, brown and yellow, black and yellow, and black and chartreuse.

Lake Wylie

White perch: Good to very good. White perch action continues to be hot, particularly at night and in the Crowders Creek area, although on some days the schools may be difficult to locate. Look for large schools in 18 to 24 feet, and fish live minnows vertically or small spoons. Crappie: Fair. Crappie are still in deeper water, and 18 to 20 feet is good a depth to start prospecting. A good Lake Wylie pattern is to find deep boat docks or marina structure and drop a chartreuse jig all the way to the bottom and slowly wind up. Slabs can be caught this way on Wylie right now. Catfish: Fair. Cold water can slow the channel cat bite on Lake Wylie, but for blue cats this can be a good time to drift the deep flats on the middle to lower lake with cut bait.

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Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee

Trout: Good. Fish are suspended from 40 to 50 feet deep up to the surface over 100 to 200 feet of water. Target them with Bad Creek trolling spoons, or by trolling or drifting large minnows. Black Bass: Fair. Bass fishing has improved slightly, although pressure remains very low and few reports are coming in. Fish in 20 to 30 feet of water using dark green swamp crawler pumpkinseed worms Texas or shaky-head rigged, or try deep diving plugs. Catfish: Slow. A few catfish are being caught with cut bait fished on the bottom in 60 to 70 feet of water in the rivers.

Lake Keowee

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair. Lake Keowee bass fishing is improving, but water temperatures are still very cold. The predominant pattern remains fishing very deep and slow with drop shot rigs or doodling shaky head worms. Target fish in 30 to 70 feet of water.

Lake Hartwell

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Striper and hybrid fishing is good, particularly in the Conneross area, and some very nice fish continue to be caught. Trolling the major creeks is working well, and umbrella rigs are very productive right now. Look for the birds which will tip you off to where the bait and fish are. Largemouth Bass: Good. Bass are still doing well although up and down temperatures have slowed the fishing a bit from two weeks ago. Fish jigging spoons, crankbaits, or drop shot rigs in 10 to 30 feet around secondary points, at the mouths of major creeks, and on main channel points. Fish are also being picked up fishing jigs around deep structure and brushpiles.

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Best Tasting <b>Freshwater Fish</b>

In this order:

1. Walleye

2. Yellow Perch

3. Northern Pike

Not a huge fan of trout or salmon, but I've been told the dime bright specimens I bring home for the grill or the smoker are outstanding.

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Report cites continued growth in <b>freshwater fishing</b>

Freshwater angling is growing in economic importance in B.C. and the Thompson-Nicola region is among the hot spots, a new report says.

The economic impact report, commissioned by Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C., states that freshwater fishing's economic impact has grown to more than $546 million a year in direct spending, an increase of $23 million annually since 2005.

In relative terms, anglers spend three times more on equipment than downhill skiers and add almost as much as cruise ship passengers to the provincial economy.

Participation is also growing, a trend that is expected to continue, the report says.

Using data from the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada, the report shows that the number of anglers in B.C. grew by six per cent from 2005.

Benefits of the expanding industry are concentrated in certain regions. The Thompson-Nicola region, with 18 per cent of the economic impact, is second only to the Lower Mainland.

The region also placed second in total fishing package expenditures, with almost $4 million spent on lodge, guided charter boat or fly-in fishing packages. Direct economic benefits in the region total $99 million.

Results of the study show that the industry remains strong despite the economic slowdown in 2008, said Don Peterson, president of the Freshwater Fisheries Society.

"It's positive news for the province as a whole," Peterson said. "A significant number of B.C. anglers live in urban areas and fish in rural areas, which represents a transfer of economic activity from urban to rural."

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