Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Local Striper Guide Derrick Franks, aka "The Striper Snatcher," is going big with a line of lead jigs. It all started this season in San Diego aboard the Malihini sport fishing vessel, fishing ¾-day trips. Franks took a knife to the gun fight. Day one, freshwater bass jig rod vs. yellow fin tuna -yep, the tuna won the fight. Day two, re-armed with a tuna rod, Frank lands yellow fin tuna. During the process, we had conversation on air about using the same swim baits, spoons irons and jigs... Full story
This summer the comment was that El Niño is "significant and strengthening," and that it could rival the strongest on record - even the Super El Niño of 1997. The prediction was that perhaps it would bring more and bigger fish and much-need precipitation this winter from the West Coast. Well, it did and has. Look at this catch - it leaves little doubt that it's a great season to go sportfishing! Expected is another fish wave working up the Baja coast in the warm water. Don McDowell says he e... Full story
OLYMPIA – Clam diggers will have an opportunity to dig for razor clams on Copalis Beach over the Christmas holiday if the next marine toxin test confirms the clams are safe to eat, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today. The dig is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 24, 25 and 26 at Copalis Beach on evening tides. No other state beach will be open to digging those three days. State shellfish managers emphasized the Copalis dig hinges on results from the next marine t... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is again delaying the commercial Dungeness crab fishery on a small section of Washington’s southern coast. The decision was made in coordination with shellfish managers from Oregon and California, where commercial Dungeness fisheries also remain closed. Although test results in crab from Washington’s southern coast show the crab are safe to eat, results from California and sections of Oregon indicate elevated levels of domoic acid,... Full story
OLYMPIA – Biologists today released seven fishers into Washington’s south Cascades mountains, where the reclusive, cat-sized mammal hasn’t been seen for more than 70 years. The fisher is one of the larger members of the weasel family, which includes otters, badgers and wolverines. Fishers were eliminated from Washington by the mid-1900s through over-trapping and have been listed as a state-endangered species since 1998. Today’s reintroduction was made possible through collaboration between... Full story
Alexandria, VA – December 15 – 2015 - Over the course of 2015, numerous legislative, public policy and advocacy activities occurred that will have a lasting impact on recreational fishing's future. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) today recounted seven of the top recreational fishing advocacy accomplishments of 2015. "I'm extremely proud of ASA's efforts to promote fisheries conservation and access to help ensure a strong future for our industry," said ASA President and CEO Mike Nus... Full story
My last fish report expressed the hope that stripers would start boiling again, but to my dismay, no boils have been reported this week. Unforgettable boil action has occurred in August, September, and early October but each of these episodes has been interrupted by quiet periods when stripers stay deep despite a high abundance of forage. When boiling stripers do splash on top in big groups, it is easy to find and then catch them with surface lures. I hope that happens soon but, while waiting,... Full story
Action: Opens the North and South Forks of the Newaukum River. Effective Dates: Immediately. Species affected: All species. Location: Newaukum River – North and South Forks (Lewis County). Reason for action: Cooler weather and recent precipitation have increased flows in these tributaries eliminating the need for the drought-related fishing closures adopted in August. Information contact: Mike Scharpf, District Fish Biologist, 360-249-1205. Fishers must have a current Washington fishing l... Full story
Action: Lifts closures in the Yakima Basin. Effective date: Immediately. Species affected: All game fish (trout, whitefish, etc.). Locations: Ahtanum Creek, including the North Fork and Middle Fork Little Naches River Teanaway River, including the West, Middle and North forks Reason for action: Cooler weather and recent precipitation have increased flows in these tributaries eliminating the need for the drought-related fishing closures adopted in mid-July. Additional Information: The fishing sea... Full story
Action: Closes the following areas to salmon fishing: (1) Snohomish River (Snohomish County): From the mouth (Burlington Northern Railroad bridges) of the Snohomish River upstream to the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers. (2) Skykomish River: From the mouth upstream to the confluence of the North and South Forks. (3) Snoqualmie River: From the mouth upstream to Snoqualmie Falls. (4) Wallace River: From the mouth upstream to 200 feet above the water intake for the salmon... Full story
Mike Wallace reports that these cats were caught at Saguaro Lake while he was night fishing from shore with his son Aaron. Wallace says, " Most people this time of year have racked the poles, but fishing is still very good! " He used lighter tackle then most, a medium-action 5-foot bass rod with 8-pound test. According to Wallace, "Long soaks and patience are the best tools we have, and for me, the best part, as usual, is hanging out with one of my boys!" He continues, "Life for every one I... Full story
Every angler loves to get fishing gear as a gift, but if you're not a fisherman yourself, it can be difficult to pick out something useful and appropriate. A great gift for a bass angler is not necessarily a great gift for a trout fisherman or a crappie angler. So here are some ideas specific to what your angler loves to fish for. Bass Anglers Savage Gear won best of show for their 3D shrimp at ICAST this year, and they have other 3D lures as well. One thing that works particularly well for big... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is expanding its search for areas of Puget Sound where surf smelt, Pacific sand lance and other forage fish go to spawn. Over the past year, teams surveyed more than 1,000 sites on public and private beaches in south Sound to find evidence of spawning activity. Those surveys found forage fish eggs in locations and at times where these fish previously hadn’t been documented, said Phillip Dionne, WDFW research scientist. “Forage fish... Full story
Action: Fishing for chum salmon opens in Marine Area 10, with a daily limit of 2. Effective Date: 12:01 a.m., Oct. 28, 2015 through Jan. 31, 2016. Species affected: Chum salmon Location: Marine Area 10 within Puget Sound. Reason for action: Following the emergency closure of Marine Area 10 to all salmon fishing on Oct. 19 (due to estimated total encounters of chinook salmon reaching the allowable limits for the area), WDFW biologists have continued to assess the most recent monitoring data from... Full story
Alexandria, VA – November 4, 2015 – For the third year in a row, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, has been recognized by the Trade Show News Network (TSNN) as one of the fastest growing trades shows in the U.S. by square footage. Produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), ICAST is the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, hosting more than 12,000 representatives from the global sportfishing community. TSNN placed ICAST on its Top... Full story
OLYMPIA – Starting Nov. 1, anglers will be restricted to one hatchery-reared adult coho salmon per day as part of their catch limit on several tributaries to the lower Columbia River. Poor returns of coho salmon prompted state fishery managers to reduce the daily limit to one hatchery adult coho – down from six – to preserve fish for state hatchery propagation and restoration programs. Waters affected by the new limit include the Deep, Grays, Elochoman, Cowlitz, Toutle, Green, Tilton, Cispu... Full story
OLYMPIA – Anglers fishing for salmon in Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) will be allowed to keep chum only beginning Nov. 1, state fishery managers announced today. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) had scheduled an opening for hatchery chinook salmon to begin Sunday, Nov. 1, but has postponed that season to protect a large number of juvenile chinook in those waters. “We’re seeing more young chinook out there than we’ve seen in over a decade,” said Ron Warren, WDFW fisheries... Full story
Alexandria, VA – November 5, 2015 - Not many activities offer as many opportunities for tranquil relaxation or exhilarating surges of adrenaline, but both types of experiences have about equal appeal when it comes to fishing. This, and other motivational factors, are illuminated in the third report in a series examining sportfishing “churn,” a term that refers to anglers’ transitioning in and out of the sport from year to year. Produced for the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) by Southwi... Full story
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. –– Game and Fish and Mohave County are planning a "Welcome Back the Trout" day on Nov. 21 to commemorate the return of this popular sport fish. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Davis Camp in Bullhead City. Fish will be stocked prior to the event. This will be the second year of trout stockings since the Willow Beach Hatchery ceased stockings from November of 2013 to October of 2014. During the clinic hours, individuals may fish without a license. Walmart a... Full story
Cooler temperatures have finally come back, which means it's time to switch to trout stocking. The week of Nov. 2 included our final catfish stockings for the season. We will resume stocking catfish next March. Our first trout stocking into core waters is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 16. See the schedule. Due to some necessary scheduling changes with the vendors, we'll be stocking some of the core waters on Monday, and the rest of the waters on Wednesday. The first stocking of the season is the on... Full story
Action: The following Grays Harbor tributaries are open for salmon and gamefish fishing: Humptulips River (Grays Harbor County): From the downstream edge of Reynvanns Bar up to Hwy 101 Bridge. Salmon daily limit is 2. Release wild coho. Release all chinook beginning Nov. 16, 2015. Wishkah River (Grays Harbor County): From West Wishkah Road Bridge to the Wishkah Rearing Ponds. Salmon daily limit is 2. Release all salmon except chum and hatchery coho. Satsop River (Grays Harbor/Mason counties):... Full story
OLYMPIA – State shellfish managers closed the recreational crab fisheries inside Willapa Bay effective immediately due to elevated marine toxin levels. The rest of Washington’s coastal areas, including Grays Harbor, remain open for sport crab fishing, said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Test results indicate crabs elsewhere on the coast are safe to eat,” Ayres said. “We’ll continue monitoring for marine toxins in Willapa Bay... Full story
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is offering anglers opportunities for tight lines rather than long lines on the day after Thanksgiving. The “holiday specials” include thousands of large trout averaging 15 to 16 inches in length and weighing 1-1/4 pounds. The Department is currently preparing to stock lakes in southwest and western Washington in time for Black Friday, Nov. 27. In eastern Washington, thousands of smaller trout stocked in lakes last year should have... Full story
Alexandria, VA – November 19, 2015 – The sportfishing industry applauds the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for advancing a major portion of the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015 during today’s committee markup hearing. Originally sponsored by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015 contains provisions that will benefit our natio... Full story
This Pacific blue marlin weighed in at San Diego's Marlin Club at 662.2 # on Sept.23. This is a rare catch for these waters; they are generally found in warmer waters. However, area waters are warm now - 74 to 78 degrees - and the marlin are here because they are chasing their favorite foods, dorado and tuna. It is the largest Pacific Blue marlin weighed in San Diego - dating back in The Marlin Club records to 1931. John Campbell, an IGFA representative, witnessed the weigh in and shot this... Full story