Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Across America at boat launch ramps, the familiar growl of boat motors waking up from their long winter nap heralds the start of the boating season. But what makes boating, fishing or sailing this time of year different from all others? When it comes to safety, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has three tips to answer that question: 1. The water is still cold. Darn cold. Even though the white stuff is gone and you're in a T-shirt and can feel the sun's warmth on your face, l... Full story
The unseasonably warm water experienced lately has now turned seasonably cooler. The cold front chased bass off their nests, sent stripers deeper and slowed fishing success temporarily. But in reality that makes this a normal April with the various changes that occur every spring. Now it is easy to predict what will happen next by looking at the temperature and weather forecast. Plan the fishing trip for three to five-day warming periods and avoid cold fronts if possible. Both Large And Smallmou... Full story
When the Ben Avery Shooting Facility's main range opens bright and early June 4, recreational shooters will zero in on several improvements: An earthen berm that serves as a backstop for 67 shooting stations that will be higher, more level and - most important - safer. New LED light fixtures that will brightly shine above every shooting station. A 3-inch layer of closed-cell polyurethane foam insulation on the underside of the steel canopy that will provide sound dampening. In order to complete... Full story
Sixteen tons - of fish! You may have heard the old song by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "16 Tons." Well, by early April, that's how many catfish and sunfish will have made their way into Community Fishing waters. We stocked the first catfish of the season March 19, and more recently, we stocked all the "core" waters with bluegill sunfish. Another 14,400 pounds of feisty catfish are beginning to make their home in the Phoenix and Tucson core waters. See the Community Fishing Program stocking schedule... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has hosted one and plans another public meeting to discuss a change in the management of sport and native fisheries in the West Fork of the Black River in Apache County The remaining meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Arizona Game and Fish Department Headquarters Quail Room, 5000 W. Carefree Highway in Phoenix. The Department currently manages the headwaters of the West Fork of Black River and several tributaries as a wild, native... Full story
Bassmaster Elite is the premier fishing league in the world with an invitation-only competition being held in Lake Havasu with crowds of over 5,000 people a day expected. Bassmaster Magazine ranks Lake Havasu as #20 as the "100 best bass lakes" in 2014, and the top prize is $100,000. The event will be televised on ESPN2 and The Outdoor Channel. Dates: May 7-10 Times: First light Location: Lake Havasu State Park – Lot 4 (formerly Windsor 4) on London Bridge Rd. Admission: Free to spectators C... Full story
The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) announces that Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has renewed its title sponsorship of the 2015 Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship. Now in its 10th Anniversary year, the event will be held May 20-22 on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Final Of Four The Championship is the final of four tournaments in the rapidly expanding Cabela's Collegiate Bass Fishing Series slated for this year. BoatUS has been the title sponsor of the... Full story
OLYMPIA – Two sections of the Snake River, below Ice Harbor Dam near Pasco and below Lower Granite Dam, will open to fishing for spring chinook salmon Sunday, April 19. Two other sections of the river – below Little Goose Dam and Clarkston – will open Thursday, April 23. Each section of the river is scheduled to be open three days per week. Waters below Ice Harbor Dam and below Lower Granite Dam are scheduled to be open Sunday through Tuesday each week, while the Little Goose Dam and Clark... Full story
With the price of shells going through the roof, it pays to improve your shooting. One of the best ways to do that is to spend some time at the sporting clays range. The Ben Avery Sporting Clays Center on the Carefree Highway just west of I-17 has a great range with five-stand, two sporting clays courses and several trap and skeet ranges. John Greenwell, a National Sporting Clays Association Certified Level II Instructor, teaches shotgun shooting at Ben Avery's Clay Target Center. After thousand... Full story
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has completed its 2015 hunt draw for elk and pronghorn antelope. The results are available by visiting https://az.gov/azgfd/draw/home.xhtml and scrolling down to "View results and bonus points," or viewing them on your portal account. You also can call the department at (602) 942-3000 and press "2." By The Numbers 25,932: The total number of permit-tags issued. 150,915: The total number of those who applied for hunts or bonus points. 111,588: The total... Full story
Project ChildSafe supporters and Phoenix Police Department officials unveiled a new safety video for parents “How to Talk to Your Kids about Firearms Safety” this week. The video, starring champion shooter, veteran, author and mother Julie Golob, serves as a first-of-its-kind resource to guide parents in conversation about gun safety with children. In addition, free gun locks will be distributed to help Phoenix-area families responsibly store their firearms, while encouraging those families to... Full story
Y'ALL COME – to beautiful, bountiful San Diego to join in celebrating Southern California's spectacular sportfishing. Two great events are on the calendar just ahead: Day At The Docks on Sunday, April 19 (http://www.sportfishing.org/) and the Yellowtail Derby, Saturday, May 2 to Sunday, June 7 (johncinsd@gmail.com). A special thank you goes to Jeff Stress, San Diego photographer, for this remarkable shot of the San Diego skyline.... Full story
Thanks again go to Bob Brown of Media Directions for another striking photo of a bathing beauty gracing a boat. Even though we know she should be wearing a pfd (and no doubt she donned one just after the photo shoot), this blonde bather is here to remind us that spring is the start of the boating and watersports season in the Southwest. All of us hope you will enjoy the water safely this year and urge others to do the same. Lakes - Bartlett Lake Store Is Open! A fully stocked convenience store... Full story
Newport, R.I. – Newport Exhibition Group announced today that its 45th Annual Newport International Boat Show will take place September 17th through 20th, 2015 on the Newport waterfront along America’s Cup Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. One of the largest in-water boat shows in the country and the premier show in New England, the Newport International Boat Show encompasses 13 acres and will host hundreds of exhibitors from around the world with new powerboats and sailboats ranging from 16 to... Full story
May 15th is ‘Wear Your Life jacket To Work Day,’ and May 16th is ‘Wear It Day’ Life Jacket World Record Day. Last month’s article was about Arizona's best kept secret, the volunteers of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. This month we are letting everyone know about one of the major fourth cornerstone activities of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Everyone loves going to a birthday party; well, here is one you won't forget. This is the 225th Birthday for the United States Coast Guard and... Full story
PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Coast Guard hosted a celebration to honor a Coast Guard WWII veteran on his 100th birthday in Portsmouth, Va. Linwood "Tick" Thumm and his family joined with Coast Guard personnel at the Portsmouth Federal Building to celebrate his 100 years of life with gifts, sea stories and cake. Thumm commanded an 83-foot cutter crew based out of Little Creek who spent the first part of WWII escorting convoys from New Jersey to Cape Hatteras, N.C. He and his crew were credited with a... Full story
The Coast Guard and National Safe Boating Council remind recreational boaters of the importance of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons in conjunction with 406Mhz Beacon Awareness Day. An EPIRB is used to alert search and rescue forces in the event of an emergency. It does this by transmitting a coded message on the 406 megahertz distress frequency via satellite and earth stations to the nearest rescue coordination center, which then notifies local search and rescue forces. "Having a... Full story
Big and small, power or sail, there are many different kinds of boats and so many different kinds of boat owners. But, the one thing they seem to agree on is how boating makes them feel, at least if your looking at a boat’s name on the transom. “Serenity” has been named the #1 boat name for the second year in a row with the release of the 2015 list of Top Ten Boat Names from Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). It is also the name’s tenth appearance on the popular list of boat... Full story
A recall involving Kidde fire extinguishers includes some models sold to recreational boaters: Mariner 10, Mariner 110, Mariner 5, and Mariner 5 G. Kidde, in conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, has announced a voluntary recall to replace certain units. A faulty valve component can cause the disposable fire extinguishers not to fully discharge when the lever is repeatedly pressed and released during a fire emergency, posing a risk of injury. About 4.6 million... Full story
Despite record temperatures, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s 2015 Outdoor Expo presented by Shikar Safari Club International, held March 28-29 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix, was visited by 33,100 people. This does not include the Friday Youth Day, geared toward school children, teachers and chaperones, which was attended by 5,900. The Youth Day also was held at the Ben Avery facility. The annual Expo showcases activities such as fishing, hunting, shooting sports, a... Full story
NOW OPEN! – Barlett Lake Marina's new boat store is open and stocked with almost everything one could ever need for boating, fishing, and camping nearby. This handy boat store (above the lake and marina) supplements the large stock of inventory that is carried in the marina's dock store. Coming soon and adding to the convenience and enjoyment of visitors will br a full restaurant that adjoins the store. Visitors will then be able to relax and dine while enjoying a spectacular view of Bartlett L... Full story
The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is currently updating the 1988 Master Plan for Estrella Mountain Regional Park and is seeking input from the community. The goal of the Park Master Plan is to develop a long-range vision for the park that takes into account park visitors needs while also protecting the resources and natural open space found within the park. "The department is beginning the initial phase of the planning process and it is important for us to make sure that the... Full story
Kartchner Caverns State Park will celebrate Earth Day and the return of the Myotis velifer bat colony to Kartchner Caverns State Park at "Bat Day" on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The day will be filled with family activities, presentations and hands-on activities. The cave will be open for tours but those should be reserved in advance. Special Features The event will include presentations in the theater by State Park Rangers and guest speakers including Dr. Ted... Full story
Grand Canyon National Park joins parks, programs and partners across the country to encourage everyone to find their park and share their stories online at FindYourPark.com. Launched March 30 by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, Find Your Park, is a public awareness and education campaign celebrating the milestone centennial anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016 and setting the stage for its second century of srvice. Public Invited Find Your Park invites the... Full story
This is a gorgeous time of year to visit Saguaro National Park. There are two different parts to this park: the Tucson District west of Tucson, and the Rincon District which is just southeast of Tucson. The Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park is easy to get to: Take the Old Spanish Trail from Tucson to the Rincon Visitor Center. There is a loop drive through the western part of the Rincon District that you should definitely investigate. You can ask for trail maps and information... Full story
