New black bass fishing regulations went into effect throughout Florida on Friday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced. 

This regulation change will streamline existing rules, allow anglers to keep smaller, more abundant bass and protect larger bass.

FWC said it received input from thousands of bass anglers before amending current regulations.

“We are confident that these new regulations meet the desires of our bass anglers, ensuring that Florida lakes will continue to produce high quality fisheries,” said Tom Champeau, director of FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries. “Florida’s reputation for trophy bass is one reason we are known as the Fishing Capital of the World and these new regulations will help provide our anglers with unforgettable fishing experiences.”

Florida contains five species of black bass: largemouth, Suwannee, shoal, Choctaw and spotted bass.

Largemouth bass are the state freshwater fish and are found throughout Florida, while the other species are only found in rivers in the north central and northwest regions.

A summary of the new black bass regulations is below. Visit MyFWC.com/fishing and click on “Freshwater,” then “Regulations” for a copy of the complete regulations.

• The previous three black bass fishing zones and 40 areas with special bass regulations have been eliminated.
• All species of black bass are included in the five fish daily aggregate black bass bag limit. This is the same as the previous statewide rule.
• Largemouth bass: Only one may be 16 inches or longer in total length per angler, per day, with no minimum length limit.
• Suwannee, shoal, Choctaw and spotted basses: 12-inch minimum size limit, only one may be 16 inches or longer in total length.

One of the primary goals of the new regulations is to protect larger trophy bass, FWC said.

The TrophyCatch program offers prizes for anglers who document and release largemouth bass weighing eight pounds or heavier. Visit TrophyCatchFlorida.com for more details and to register for the program.

From left: Joseph Aunders, Zach Zorn and Seth DuBois show off a 240.2-pound bluefin tuna Monday at Balboa Angling Club at Newport Marina in Newport Beach. They hooked into the fish 50 miles west of San Diego and fought it for eight and a half hours

The moment line began to scream and rip off the reel last Sunday, Zach Zorn, Seth DuBois and Joseph Aunders could in no way fathom the adventure in bloom, so many fathoms down.

Understandable, really, when the thing on the other end of the line is the size of Chargers inside linebacker Denzel Perryman. Understandable, too, when the fish muscling into the fight is determined to drag your 22-foot bay boat nearly 15 miles over the next eight-and-a-half hours — or roughly the distance from Petco Park to La Jolla Cove.

This bluefin tuna was … a brute.

“We were thinking two or three hours,” said Zorn, of Carlsbad. “Four max.”

The trio of friends — 21-year-old Zorn and the 18-year-olds from Orange — hooked into an unforgettable tuna tussle near a spot known as “The 43,” a bank about 50 miles west of San Diego.

Two days earlier, Zorn and DuBois boated a 136-pounder in the same area after more than three and a half hours. This time, the deep-blue scuffle carried into the night, flirted with the size of California’s state record and pulled in the Coast Guard for good storytelling measure.

“Exhausted is the right word,” DuBois said. “But also excited out of our minds. To get it into the boat was a triumph, more than anything.”

The tuna chomped a slow-trolled mackerel on 80-pound line, a 130-pound fluorocarbon leader and a triple strength circle hook. The head-shaking part: They landed the fish — which ultimately weighed in at 240.2 pounds — in a boat with no railing for leverage, no back brace, no harness.

The catch amounted to a group of buddies, handing off the rod in shifts, hour after hour after hour.

“That boat’s meant to be used for bass in the bay or along the shore on kelp beds,” Zorn said. “They’re not designed to go 50 miles off shore and catch a couple-hundred-pounds fish.

“You have to basically peel your fingers off the rod to hand it to the next guy because you’re holding on so tight.”

The boat returned to the Balboa Angling Club in Newport Beach at 11:30 p.m., long after it had closed. The gassed guys were forced to wait until Monday morning to discover the fish’s weight.

Mindy Martin, Balboa’s secretary who verified the tuna, pulled out a one-liner from her days fishing on the East Coast.

“I said, ‘Did you guys go on a Nantucket Sleigh Ride?’ ” Martin joked. “They were so happy and so tired.”

This isn’t a story of young guys putting themselves in a dangerous, irresponsible situation. Quite the opposite, in fact. They stayed in contact with many, including the Pacific Pioneer.

When the tuna hit the deck, they contacted the Coast Guard before motoring back — agreeing to a plan of 30-minute radio checks until reaching the harbor.

“It’s insane,” said Kyle Dickerson, captain of Newport Beach’s Pacific Pioneer, which bobbed about 200 yards away when the guys hooked up around noon. “At their age, I don’t think I’d do what they were doing. It’s impressive to watch.

“To tell you now good these kids are, they called the Coast Guard to let them know their situation. Most kids would say screw it. If there were more out there like them, our fishing future would be in a great shape.”

The behemoth neared the state record of 243 pounds, 11 ounces caught in 1990, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Experts estimated the gaffs and stay in an iced-down “kill bag” likely cost the tuna 15 or more pounds overnight.

So, the big one was even bigger the night before. The fish could not be considered a record, though, because it was boated by more than one angler.

Steve Crooke, a retired 38-year veteran of the state's fish and wildlife department, said he recalled a fisherman bringing a bluefin that topped more than 360 pounds to Balboa in 1983. Some records simply fail to reach the books.

“There are a lot of world records that have been eaten,” said Crooke, with a chuckle. “Sometimes people don’t turn them in. That’s quite a fish, though. That’s a great memory for those guys.”

The tuna was landed on a rod manufactured by Cousins Tackle, founded in 2012 in Huntington Beach. Will Derrick, a company spokesman, said the bluefin is the biggest recorded on one of their rods in U.S. waters.

No matter how you measure it, the guys grunted and strained their way to the story of a lifetime. They planned to return this weekend, though. After all, ambitious minds reasoned, the big one’s waiting.

Scratch that. The next big one.

Low river flows and high temperatures have prompted a fishing advisory from the province. 

On Thursday, officials asked Albertans to acknowledge that fish are vulnerable in stressful conditions and to follow safe handling procedures related to catch-and-release fishing.

"Extra caution should be taking in fishing in zones along the Eastern Slopes," said the advisory from Alberta Environment and Parks. "To minimize risk to fish in these zones, anglers are encouraged to: fish in stocked ponds and lakes, fish early in the mornings and minimize handling time of fish."

Officials are developing a comprehensive plan to manage the risks to fish during low-flow events and could implement further restrictions if necessary. 

The catch: June 25-July1. By Dan Radel Wochit

If the forecast holds there could be a very good run of fluke over the 4th of July weekend.

NOAA is calling for west winds around 10 miles per hour, which may create nice drifting conditions for anglers looking to collar a few fish on these now long days of summer.

Capt. John Connell of the Captain John reports they are still riding the good vibes of the 15-pound, 3-ounce doormat fluke landed by Gary Thompson last weekend. Connell said it may be the biggest fluke to be pulled from Raritan Bay this season.

The Elaine B II has been dialed into the big fish lately. Capt. Stan Zagleski Sr. sounded very pleased when he phoned in to report that the father and daughter team of Dennis and Danielle O'Brien, of South Bound Brook, landed a pair of doormats.

"Danielle had a 13.1-pound beauty, which is the largest ever boated by a lady fluke fisher aboard the Elaine B II. Her dad Dennis, not to be outdone, boated a 10.5-pound fish later in the day. It was his second doormat of the season already," said Zagleski.

Not to be left out was Steve Pirigyi's catch of a 10.3-pound fluke.

Out of Shark River Inlet Capt. Ron Kish, skipper of the Capt. Cal II reported mid-week that fishing picked up. He said the morning drifts were very active with both keepers and shorts biting at the baits.

"We moved around, some  areas were slower, overall  it was a decent day of fluke  fishing," he said.

Some of his party of fishermen had four keepers while others had two or three. He said anglers using green Gulp held an advantage over other anglers.

Porpoises ride along

Capt. Chris Hueth on the Big Mohawk reported a catch of a 7-pound, 10-ounce fluke. He was joined by some porpoises that swam along side the boat as he motored to the fishing grounds.

The Manaquan Inlet boats are finding fish around the local reefs that are just a few miles from the point of the jetty.

"The last few days on our fluke trips we have had a better percentage of keepers coming over the rails up to 7 pounds," said Capt. Bobby Bogan of the Gambler.

Gary Thompson, Keyport, with a 15-pound 3- ounce fluke caught on the Captain John. (Photo: Capt. John Connell)

While the fluke boats are busying themselves on drifts inshore, a pair of bottom fishing boats out of Manasquan Inlet report finding the winter flounder honey hole out in the deep.

Capt. Willie Egerter of the Dauntless said they are "flooding in flounder" in the three to four pound range. The ling bite has also improved with anglers catching 10 to 25 of them.

"We are catching more and more so come on down to get your fill," the skipper said.

Capt. Francis Bogan of the Paramount reports purple hake are also biting on the deeper water wrecks. Brooklyn fisher, Timmy Magee won a recent pool with one that weighed 12-pounds.

 

June 27, 2016

Hanford Reach to open for sockeye fishing

Actions: Opens sockeye salmon to retention

Effective date: June 28 through Aug. 15, 2016

Species affected: Sockeye salmon

Area 1: Columbia River from Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco to the Interstate 182 Bridge at Richland near Columbia Point (CRC 534)

Daily Limit: Daily limit of three (3) salmon, of which one (1) may be an adult hatchery chinook and two (2) may be sockeye. Release wild adult chinook.

Area 2: Columbia River from the Interstate 182 Bridge to Priest Rapids Dam (CRC 535, 536)

Daily Limit: Daily limit of six (6) salmon, of which two (2) may be adult hatchery chinook and three (3) may be sockeye. Release wild adult chinook.

Other information: Anglers must use barbless hooks when fishing for salmon and must have a current Washington fishing license, as well as a Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement (CRSSE). Anglers may fish with two poles with the Two-Pole Endorsement, except for sturgeon.

Reason for action: The sockeye run has exceeded the pre-season forecast of 102,000 fish returning to the river mouth (currently ~240,000 at Bonneville thru 6/26 with the total return now projected to reach 400,000). Barring extreme high water temperatures like 2015 that caused unprecedented pre-spawning mortality, sufficient escapement of fish to meet spawning needs in the Wenatchee and Okanogan Rivers should be realized. Over 110,000 sockeye have crossed McNary Dam, and consequently, sockeye retention upstream of the Hwy. 395 Bridge at Pasco to Priest Rapids Dam can now be opened.

Due to the debilitating losses of almost all spawning sockeye in the Okanogan River in 2015, fisheries managers are proceeding conservatively until spawning escapements into the Wenatchee and Okanogan Rivers are assured, As the run progresses up river, sockeye seasons above Priest Rapids Dam are likely, provided water temperatures in route to Canada are not lethal. Anglers should watch WDFW's website for further actions.

Information contacts: John Easterbrooks, Region 3 Fish Program Manager, (509) 457-9330 (Yakima) or Jeff Korth, Region 2 Fish Program Manager, (509) 754-4624 (Ephrata)

 

Fishers must have a current Washington fishing license, appropriate to the fishery. Check the WDFW "Fishing in Washington" rules pamphlet for details on fishing seasons and regulations. Fishing rules are subject to change. Check the WDFW Fishing hotline for the latest rule information at (360) 902-2500, press 2 for recreational rules. For the Shellfish Rule Change hotline call (360)796-3215 or toll free 1-866-880-5431.

British fishermen have been warned that, despite the promises made by the leave campaign, they cannot expect to be granted greater catches after the UK leaves the European Union, and they may face increased economic turmoil.

Fishermen will have to remain within their current catch quotas while the UK is still a member, and even if new arrangements are negotiated after a Brexit, they will not necessarily be more generous, fisheries chiefs and campaigners have warned.

British fishing fleets will still be bound by international agreements on fish stocks that must now be worked out, and which may not be to their benefit.

“Promises have been made and expectations raised during the referendum campaign and it is now time to examine if and how they can be delivered,” said the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations.

“Unfortunately, perhaps, the UK’s geopolitical position means that it is not politically or legally possible just to ringfence most of our fish resources, in the way that, for example, Iceland can. The reality is that most of our stocks are shared with other countries to some degree or other.

“We can certainly seek to renegotiate quota shares, as well as access arrangements, but it is realistic to expect that there will be a price. Who will pay that price is a critical question.”

The cost could, in theory, be subsidised by the government, or it could be borne by consumers, though this would depend on the price of fish to be imported, if UK fisheries are to remain competitive. The effects on fishing fleets are likely to vary across the UK. Many fishermen currently benefit from EU subsidies to help them buy better boats with new nets that help to preserve fish stocks, for instance by allowing juvenile fish to swim clear.

A spokesman for the European commission told the Guardian: “It is far too early to speculate on this question [of what will happen to fisheries]. That will be addressed in due course, once negotiations with the UK begin on its withdrawal agreement as well as on the agreement concerning its future relationship with the EU. For the time being, nothing changes.”

Although there are only about 11,000 people directly employed in fishing in the UK, nearly half of them in Scotland, which voted to stay in Europe. The industry was made a touchstone by Leave campaigners.

Nigel Farage, of Ukip, led a small flotilla of fishermen up the Thames days before the vote, to be greeted by rival boats led by Bob Geldof, leading to a charged encounter. The murdered Labour MP, Jo Cox, sailed to the Houses of Parliament in a dinghy on the same day, with her husband and two young children, bearing a Remain flag.

Scottish political leaders have been adamant that they should not bear the brunt of any disadvantage arising from renewed negotiations on fishing after a Brexit. Angus MacNeil, the Scottish National party MP, tweeted: “Met a young fisherman last night livid about Brexit - he has just bought a fishing boat with EU grant help!”

The New Economics Foundation, which closely follows EU fishing policy, warned that fishermen should not bargain on any quick change. “Those communities and fishers hoping for an immediate end to EU quotas will be sorely disappointed. In reality, there will be years of renegotiations, and given the small size of fishing compared to other industries, there is little chance it will be seen as a priority,” said economist Griffin Carpenter.

Other green campaigners called for ministers to draw up a plan for sustainable fishing following the UK’s departure from the EU. Trevor Hutchings of WWF-UK said: “The government must deliver a coherent plan for maintaining and conserving the marine environment as a whole. This must recognise that fish stocks do not respect national boundaries. Effective management will rely on international cooperation.”

Will McCallum, head of oceans at Greenpeace UK, pointed out that the Westminster government, rather than Brussels, was in charge of allocating the EU-agreed fishing quota, and had chosen for years to give most of it to a handful of large corporations rather than to the smaller fishermen who have most to lose.

He said: “Leaving the EU has often been held up as a magic pill for the UK’s fishing industry. But now we’ve voted to leave, it is far from plain sailing. One thing is clear: the UK government cannot settle back into its old habit of privileging a handful of large companies to the detriment of the UK’s small-scale fishermen. It wasn’t the EU that gave almost two-thirds of the entire fishing quota of England and Wales to just three companies - it was the British government.”

Scotland’s fishermen are likely to face further uncertainty, as calls for a new referendum on independence have raised the prospect that it could remain a member of the EU. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, said: “The result of the [EU] referendum brings both opportunities and challenges. It is vital that we have clarity from the UK and Scottish governments on their future intentions for fishing.”

Vote Leave declined to comment.

 

  You don’t have to be a “reel” expert to get out and enjoy fishing at the eighth annual Island Lake Bass Derby July 9 and 10.

Hooks will be casted into the lake from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day.

The event is hosted in partnership with Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), Credit Valley Conservation Foundation (CVCF), and the Friends of Island Lake (FOIL) as an annual fundraiser for Island Lake Conservation area projects.

“This is a fun event that is open to everyone,” said Steve Murphy, event coordinator for the Island Lake Bass Derby and member of FOIL. “We see first-time and experienced anglers come out each year to enjoy time at the lake. We also have special kids’ categories to help encourage fishing at all ages.”

The derby is a catch and release tourney with the goal to promote fishing at Island Lake in addition to raising money for conservation projects at the park.

The event usually sees up to 300 participants throughout the weekend. This year, participants have a chance to win more than $5,000 in prizes. Categories include big catch prizes for the Top 10 bass, as well as special categories for the top pike, perch and crappie. There are separate kids categories for youth ages 11 and under, and daily ceremonies will be held to award trophies in all kids categories.

All children receive a participation ribbon.

Registration for the derby includes daily admission to the park and boat launch access. This event takes place during Ontario Family Fishing weekend and a fishing license is not required. Electric boat rentals, live bait and a barbecue are also available at additional cost.

Camping is open at Island Lake Conservation Area during the annual derby. Campsites are available on July 8 and 9. Reservations are required and space is limited to 10 camper/RV sites and 25 tenting sites.

Sites are available at a flat fee of $25 for both nights. Reservations are open to the general public, not just derby participants.

For more details about the Island Lake Bass Derby and camping, registration and prize information, please visit islandlakederby.ca.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has banned two men from fishing for striped bass for life after they were convicted in a poaching scheme.

The department said in a news release Monday that Michael Hayden Jr. and William Lednum have also been suspended from all commercial fishing activity for the next year. The suspension will be followed by a four-year probationary period.

The two men pleaded guilty to running an operation between 2007 and 2011 that caught striped bass in illegal anchored nets before the season had opened.

Mark Belton, the secretary for Maryland natural resources, said the ban was rare, but said it sends a strong signal to poachers that the state is serious about protecting fishery.

Hayden and Lednum remain responsible for $498,000 in court-ordered restitution to the state of Maryland.