With American's
busiest boating holiday, July 4th, upon us, the waterways will soon
be brimming boaters. The BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety
and Clean Water says that making a few extra preparations ahead
of time will go a long way towards increasing your family's and
friend's safety and fun on the water.
Here are ten tips that will help you stay safe this July 4th holiday
weekend:
1. Put safety into your weekend plan: The Foundation's
free Online Boating "Toolbox" at http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/Guide
has helpful information on trip planning and preparation, boating
equipment, emergency preparation, navigation, and quizzes to test
your knowledge. The Foundation also offers a free NASBLA-approved
online boating safety course for residents of more than 30 states
at http://www.BoatUS.org/Onlinecourse
2."Little" guests need life jackets: Everyone wants
to be on the boat this holiday weekend, but do you have the right-sized
life jacket aboard for any visiting kids? The BoatU.S. Foundation
loans children's life jackets for free at over 350 marinas, fuel
docks, and other waterfront businesses and boat clubs. To find a
location near you go to http://www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/LJLP
3. Take your time to get home: July 4th is the
one time a year many fair-weather boaters - who may rarely navigate
in the dark - venture out after the sun goes down. The most reported
type of boating accident is a collision with another vessel so it's
a good idea to keep your speed down, post an extra lookout, and
ensure all your navigation lights work. A spotlight is a must, and
ensure all safety gear is readily available and life jackets are
worn. Be extra vigilant about not running over anchor lines in crowded
fireworks viewing areas, and don't take shortcuts in the dark.
4. Wear life jackets: Almost three-quarters
of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 87%
were not wearing a life jacket. Accidents can happen very quickly,
sometimes leaving no time to don a life jacket.
5. Don't overload your boat: Resist the urge to
invite more friends or family to the fireworks show than what your
boat was designed to carry. Heavily loaded small boats, and those
with little freeboard such as bass boats, are more susceptible to
swamping from weather or wake action associated with heavy July
4th boating traffic.
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LEWISVILLE, Texas (Sept. 29, 2007) - It was a traditional
collegiate national championship showdown with teams from the Big
10, Big 12, WAC, Sun Belt and SEC athletic conferences in final
contention for the title. It was the sport that was somewhat non-traditional
but one that is rapidly gaining in stature. This was bass
fishing, and the event took place on Lake Lewisville just a short
drive from downtown Dallas.
The
Texas A&M team of Justin Rackley and Trevor Knight caught four
keeper fish today, bass of at least 14-inches in length, to have
a final weight of 7.60 pounds to take the national title home to
College Station in the second annual BoatUS National Collegiate
Bass Fishing Championship. It was just enough to edge out Western
Kentucky's team of Adam Hock and Nathan Baum, who had 6.72 pounds
for the day.
“To
win this is awesome,” said Knight. “We knew by late morning that
this was a tough day and we were nervous about being one fish short
of a limit.”
“And
we fished hard,” Rackley added. “We caught lots of short fish today,
so we stayed optimistic about another keeper fish right up until
weigh-in time. We're proud to take this national title back to A&M.”
The
pair went on to say they caught two of their fish today on a small
finesse soft plastic worm, one on a white tube and one on a jig.
Their biggest fish of the day, a 3-pounder, was the first keeper
caught and it came around 8 a.m. The final keeper was caught about
12:30 p.m. 
Rounding
out the top five teams who advanced to the third and final day of
the championship were: 3rd place - the University of Alabama team
of Rusty Jones and Daniel Statum; 4th place – University of Wisconsin
– Madison's Derek and Drew Frederixon; and 5th place - Louisiana
Tech's Chase Cates and Blake Snow.
The
five teams had qualified for the final round by having the highest
cumulative weights after the first two days of competition. Their
weights were zeroed to start the last day.
Click
Here to Read More
Click
Here to watch last season's tournament online
Courtesy of The Fishing Wire
Personal
Locator Beacon Serves Second Purpose, Reunites Angler and Gear

The story starts early in the morning of October 19th, recreational
fisherman Eric Pierce of Boca Raton returned to the dock after a
night of swordfishing. While trailering his 31-foot sport fisherman,
a fishing buddy grabbed Pierce's fishing gear and set it on the
dock—some $6,000-plus in gear, including a recently purchased ACR
PLB.
Pierce trailered his boat and drove home, none the wiser that he
had left all of his gear sitting on the dock. Two days later he
checked his boat and found no gear, and after some quick calls he
learned it had been left behind at the dock.
After checking with the city's dock manager and leaving his contact
information should anyone turn in the gear, Pierce called staff
at NOAA to report a missing Personal Locator Beacon. NOAA dutifully
took the information and suggested Pierce fill out and file a report
with local police.
"I figured the gear was gone, but thought I would follow through
the next day with the report," Pierce recalled.
As he sat down to fill out the police report, the phone rang and
it was NOAA calling to say they had located Pierce's missing gear.
The explanation was that around 3:30 am on that same morning, Captain
Rick
Occhipinti of Snapperhead Fishing Charters in Boca Raton (561-441-4874)
pulled up to the same Palmetto Dock in Boca Raton and found the
gear.
"Captain Rick went through my bags and couldn't find any trace of
the owner's identity, except for the PLB, which carried a unique
identification code," said Pierce. "He knew that all beacons were
required to be registered with NOAA and was counting on the fact
that I filed my data, which I did."
Captain Rick said he first went back to the dock hoping that a note
from the owner would have been left behind (Pierce later tried to
put up a flyer but park rangers wouldn't allow it). Captain Rick
then called NOAA and explained that he had found the gear, which
included a PLB. NOAA pulled the registration data, which now included
a report about the missing gear, and took Captain Rick's contact
information.
"I told my friends that if another fisherman found the gear that
I would get it back. We're a really close fraternity," said Pierce,
who has been fishing South Florida waters for the past 35 years.
So thrilled to get his gear returned, Pierce offered the captain
a reward.
"I offered him cash or a fishing trip, and he took the fishing trip,"
said Pierce. "I certainly respect him for what he did and will tell
everyone that I know how important it is to register those emergency
beacons. They save lives, and in my case they saved my gear."
Upon hearing the story, ACR Electronics's management decided to
also reward Captain Rick. They are shipping him a ResQFix™ 406 Personal
Locator Beacon.
Upon hearing the news, Captain Rick quipped: "I really could have
used one a few years ago when another boat I owned sank off Boca
Raton and I had to swim ashore. I certainly will register it when
it arrives so NOAA will know who I am and where I'm from."
A PLB/P-EPIRB/P-ELT is a satellite-signaling device of last resort,
for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted
and where the situation is grave and imminent and the loss of life,
limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance.
All beacons must be registered following purchase-- a simple and
quick process, now with a web-base internet filing option (www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) manages
the registration database in the U.S. for all PLBs, EPIRBs and related
beacons.
Additional Advice from NOAA if a beacon is lost or stolen:
Inform NOAA immediately at 1-888-212-SAVE (7283) that your beacon
has been lost. NOAA will update your beacon registration information
with the appropriate information.
If stolen:
-- Report to your local police department that the beacon has been
stolen.
-- Contact NOAA at 1-888-212-SAVE (7283) with the following information
so your beacon registration information can be updated with the
following remarks:
--Police Department Name
--Police Phone Number
--Police Case Number
If the beacon were to be activated, the information provided will
be forwarded to the appropriate Search and Rescue Authorities who
will ensure the beacon is returned. If someone attempts to register
a beacon reported as stolen, NOAA will notify the appropriate police
department.
by
Dianna M. Nanez, Courtesy of azcentral.com
November
2007 - Local fishing enthusiasts crossing their fingers water temperatures
will permit a scheduled stocking of trout at Desert Breeze Lake
Thursday will have a second urban fishing site in Chandler by next
spring.
The City Council voted last week to add southeast Chandler's new
Veterans Oasis Park Lake to an existing four-year agreement with
the Arizona Game and Fish Commission that provides an urban-fishing
program at Desert Breeze Lake.
According to city naturalist Sandra Munoz-Weingarten, Chandler hopes
to open the approximately 6-acre lake, near Chandler Heights and
Lindsay roads, in 2008. The lake is part of the city's plans to
create 113-acre park and preserve that includes 78 acres of groundwater
and wetlands, an environmental-education center, areas for birds
and wildlife, 4.5 miles of trails and a picnic and playground area.
Veterans
Oasis Park Lake is being filled with water now. Once the park opens
it would be stocked seasonally with catfish, rainbow trout, bluegill,
redear sunfish, hybrid sunfish and large mouth bass, according to
Munoz-Weingarten.
For novice or young fishers who want to sharpen their skills in
preparation of trout season and Chandler's expanded fishing, there
are a bevy of classes offered through the Arizona Game and Fish
Commission.
DeWane
Tabbot teaches sport-fishing classes through Mesa's Arizona Game
and Fish office, which monitors urban fishing at Desert Breeze Lake.
Cooler temperatures, Tabbot said Wednesday, makes it a perfect time
to pick up the sport.
"It's such a beautiful day today, I thought, 'I should have played
hooky and gone fishing,' " he said. "Sometimes it's not just about
the fishing it's about the journey - being there in nature."
Tabbot said he encourages parents to introduce their children to
fishing.
"It gets them away from video games and television," he said. "Kids
need to be out in the open instead of being cooped up. They're kids
who say, 'Hey, I have my fishing (video) game.' I tell them, 'Kid,
you haven't seen anything until you caught a real fish.' "
by
Mary Jane Williamson, courtesy of Future Fisherman Foundation
Alexandria,
VA— It
was a weekend like none other for 21 novice anglers from Boys &
Girls Clubs around the country who paired up with Bassmaster Elite
anglers for a morning “fun tournament” co-hosted by BASS and the
Future Fisherman Foundation.
On
Sunday morning, August 12, Bassmaster Elite Anglers Kurt Dove, Steve
Kennedy, James Kennedy, Jim Murray, Ben Matsubu, Peter Thliveros,
James Charlesworth, Dave Wolak, Rick Morris and Kevin VanDam led
pairs of boys and girls out onto the water in search of Potomac
River bass. The pro anglers and the novice anglers were in the Washington
, D.C. area for the Capitol Clash, the La Plata , Maryland , stop
on ESPN's Bassmaster Elite Series Tournaments.
| 
|
The
grand prize winning team, showing off their prize-winning
catch, led by Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament Pro Angler
Steve Kennedy, far right, included Ingrid Camberos, left,
and Suzette Martinez, right, from the Boys & Girls Clubs
of South Bay (Calif.). Trip Weldon, tournament director, is
at the far left. |
The
Future Fisherman Foundation, the angling education arm of the American
Sportfishing Association, is currently in the first year of a partnership
with the Department of Justice (DOJ) Law Enforcement and Youth Partnerships
for Crime Prevention to implement a national program that brings
fishing and aquatic education to Boys & Girls Clubs across the
country through the Future Fisherman Foundation's Hooked on Fishing–Not
on Drugs® program. Each Club selected its youth participants
based on solid leadership, good behavior and demonstrated angling
skills.
“The
kids had a fantastic experience fishing with these pro anglers that
they can take back and share with their fellow Boys & Girls
Clubs members,” said Future Fisherman Foundation National Program
Coordinator Anne Danielski. “The excitement in the kids' eyes and
the smiles on their faces were incredibly heartwarming. It was one
of the highlights of my career. The Foundation looks forward to
participating in more events like this in the future.”

|
Elite
Series Pro Anglers Dave Wolak, left, led Brooke True, middle,
and Josh Ogg, right, from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Green
County ( Okla. ) to a second place win during the Bassmaster
Elite Pro Series' Capitol Clash held on the Potomac River
. |
Although
the pros had spent the previous days focused on winning the Capitol
Clash, come Sunday morning, all their experience and fishing savvy
were devoted to helping the boys and girls improve their angling
skills. Many of them said it reminded them of the first time someone
took them fishing, and they were happy to pass along the tradition
of sportfishing to the next generation. "We talked about football,
we talked about fishing and we ate a little," said Pro Angler
Peter Thliveros. "It just shows how well it can go when you
just go fishing."
The
grand-prize-winning team led by Steve Kennedy included Ingrid Camberos
and Suzette Martinez from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the South
Bay (Calif.), with a total catch of 13 pounds-9 ounces. The girls
received tournament shirts signed by Sunday's Top 12 Bassmaster
Elite anglers. Dave Wolak led Brooke True and Josh Ogg from the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Green County ( Okla. ), to second place
with third place going to Kisumu Griffith and Demaria Bradley from
the Boys & Girls Club of Central Mississippi, led by Peter Thliveros.
All participants took home trophies and the once-in-a-lifetime experience
of learning angling skills from the best of the best. Timothy McNeill
from the Boys & Girls Club of Sanford/Lee County, North Carolina,
who fished with VanDam, summed it up the best by saying, “It was
the greatest experience of my life.”
| 
|
Third-place
team members Demaria Bradley, left, and Kisumu Griffith, right,
from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi, led
by Elite Series Pro Angler Peter Thliveros, proudly display
their prize-winning catch. |
"This
event wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the hard work
and donations of so many people and companies,” said Foundation
Executive Director Mike Bolinder. “Our thanks go to ESPN and the
Bassmaster Elite Series pro anglers for providing these young anglers
with this chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity. This is something they
will never forget.”
BoatUS
ANGLER provided the Association with life jackets, fishing
lures, hats, gear bags, patches and decals. Other ASAssociation
members who provided equipment and support are: Shakespeare
Fishing Tackle, Zebco/WC Bradley, Plano Molding Company, Boat US,
Gemini Sport Marketing, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation
and TTI Blakemore Fishing Group.
The
participating Boys and Girls Clubs are: Boys & Girls Clubs of
the South Bay, Harbor City, CA; Boys & Girls Club of Pomona
Valley, Pomona, CA; East Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, Los
Angeles, CA; Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Silver
Spring, MD; Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities, St. Paul,
MN; Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi, Jackson, MS;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sanford Lee Co., Sanford, NC; Boys &
Girls Clubs of the Three Affiliated Tribes, New Town, ND; Boys &
Girls Clubs of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV; and Boys & Girls Clubs
of Green Country, Pryor, OK.
Click
Here For More Information about the Future Fisherman Foundation
April
30, 2007 - Courtesy of FishHabitat.org
Today, on the banks of the Potomac River, the National Fish Habitat
Board, a group of the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic
conservation, unveiled its list of “10 Waters to Watch.”
The waters featured on this list demonstrate the results of conservation
efforts under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, a bold new
initiative to reverse persistent declines in our nation’s
aquatic habitat.
“Thanks
to an approach that teams federal, state and local partners, these
10 waters soon will begin to heal,” said John Cooper, Chair
of the National Fish Habitat Board. “These and other projects
across the country mark the beginning of an unprecedented effort
to prevent the further decline of aquatic habitat across the country.”
Read More on "10 Waters to Watch"
By
Jeff Cochran, The Gainesville Times - When Tom Mann Jr. describes
what he does for a living, he leaves a few of the harsher details
out.
"I chase
little green fish around the country," the Buford resident said.
"It doesn't get much better than that."
But he knows
as well as anybody that there is more to it than that.
The life
of a professional fisherman is not as simple as dropping a line
in the lake and chasing "little green fish." Not even close. While
it may be more exciting than sitting in a cubicle for nine hours
a day, it can certainly be just as much of a grind.
Dealing
with sponsors, going on long road trips, exposure to long hours
in the sun and fishing in the worst conditions are just a few of
the less-than-glamorous aspects of living on a professional angler
tour. Several anglers who live within a cast of Lake Lanier,
including Mann, spend enough time on professional tours to catch
big paydays and fish with the best.
"It is an
everyday job," Mann said. "If I don't produce, I don't make money."
Mann is
well-established on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and Series and has made
his fair share of money in doing so. He started on the now defunct
Hungry Fisherman Circuit in 1982 and proved he can compete with
the top competition in the mid-1980s.
Click
Here to Read More
CHATTANOOGA,
TN -- Chattanooga-area angler Eric Mauer was recently awarded a
Line Class World Record by the International Game Fish Association.
Mauer specializes in catching monster catfish and recently claimed
the world title for the IGFA Freshwater 130 lb. Line Class record
for blue catfish.
Mauer
caught the 84-pound blue on March 18, 2007 near the Sequoyah Nuclear
Plant in about 38 feet of water. He was using a 2-inch "steak" cut
from a river herring (skipjack).
Mauer described it this way, "It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon
on Chickamauga Lake fishing the drop-offs with 130 lb. test Ande
line when this 84-pound monster picked up the bait. I knew it was
a monster right from the beginning and fought it for about 45 minutes."
Click Here to Read More
ALEXANDRIA,
Va. – A study released this week by the Recreational Boating and
Fishing Foundation has found that promoting both boating and fishing
is good for the market and fishing is a strong pathway to boating,
RBFF said.
The marketing research, conducted by Market Strategies, Inc., evaluated
three market segments - Boater Only (those who currently participate
in boating but not fishing), Angler Only (those who currently participate
in fishing but not boating), and Boater + Angler or "Boating Angler"
(those who currently participate in both boating and fishing).
Boating Anglers fish significantly more frequently than those who
only fish (41.7 times compared to 21.6 times in the last 24 months)
and boat more frequently than those who only boat (27.5 times compared
to 11.9 times in the last 24 months). Boating Anglers also enjoy
boating for both recreation and fishing with a majority (84.6 percent)
having gone boating for the purpose of fishing at least once in
the past 12 months and a majority (84.4%) having also gone boating
for recreational purposes.
Boating Anglers spend more money on fishing equipment and boating
accessories ($500 or more each year) compared to those who only
fish or only boat and they are significantly more likely to own
a boat (54.3 percent) compared to those who only fish (27 percent)
or only boat (25.8 percent).
Boating Anglers who don't currently own a boat represent a greater
potential for boat sales compared to those who only fish or only
boat, and are more likely to report that how they look at the environment
was influenced by their fishing and boating experiences.
A second key finding reveals the directional relationship is stronger
for fishing as a pathway to boating than vice versa. Nearly half
of Boating Anglers (44.9 percent) said that fishing influenced their
decision to get involved in boating and the reason they purchased
their first boat was to fish (67.7 percent). By contrast, less than
one third (30.4 percent) of Boating Anglers said that boating influenced
their decision to get involved in fishing.
"We know that fishing motivates many people to get out on the water
in a boat,” said NMMA president and RBFF Board chairman Thom Dammrich.
“We also know that half of all boats sold are used primarily for
fishing, with another quarter for occasional fishing. These two
activities and their futures are strongly linked and RBFF has done
a terrific job in getting its boating and fishing stakeholders to
work together to create a brighter future for both."
The national telephone survey of about 1,000 people also collected
data about early experiences with fishing and boating, current activities,
fishing license sales and more.
"We want to help our stakeholders increase participation in boating
and fishing," said RBFF President Frank Peterson. "This is a comprehensive
study with a lot of great data. Stakeholders can use it to their
advantage by focusing on the analysis that's most important to their
organization and pulling out the keyfindings and implications."
by
Tony Garitta for The-Dispatch.com, KY
When
newcomers begin their professional fishing careers, sponsors are
their lifeblood, and many anglers welcome support from such industry
giants as Pradco, Berkley, Zebco, Stren, Shimano and Ranger.
But Violette Sesco of Citrus Springs, Fla., who fishes the Mercury
Marine Women's Bassmaster Tour, has attracted a list of sponsors
that even surpasses Fish Fishburne's Team Grandma for their uniqueness.
Her sponsors include her cardiologist, dentist, Nature Coast Orthopedists
and Sports Medicine, and Advanced Hearing Aid Center, not exactly
well-known names among the fishing industry.
How Sesco brought such odd fishing sponsors on board becomes clear
when she reveals her age. She's 81 years old and is believed to
be the oldest person fishing Bassmaster tournaments. What's more,
this season Sesco has a tournament traveling companion, Mary Miday,
77. The two were introduced to each other by their mutual cardiologist.
While Miday has never fished professionally, Sesco fished the WBT
tour in 2006, and the former nurse fished her first tournament in
1978 while living in Texas.
"I heard she needed a companion, and I've always wanted to do that
(tournament fish)," Miday said.
When she's not competing, Sesco averages three or four days a week
on central Florida lakes honing her bass fishing skills.
At the WBT tournament at Lake Dardanelle, Ark., last week, Sesco
placed 80th in the Boater Division, and Miday finished 69th in the
Co-angler Division.

October
21, 2006 - BoatUS, the nation's largest organization of
recreational boaters has teamed with FOX College Sports to present
the National Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. With 41 teams
from all over the nation launching at Lake Lewisville for day 2
action the anticipation was high as the college anglers including
schools from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC were released
from Sneaky Pete's docks with a goal of qualifying for the final
five spots.
Day
2: With drastically different weather conditions than Day
1 many of the anglers were excited to hit the water and fish the
many areas they were unable to get to due to the 15 to 25 mph north
winds that hit the area. Read
More
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