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January 28, 2009 by
While I am a huge advocate for conservation, I think we’ve taken catch-and-release too far. My friend, Jeff put it in perspective for me the other day.
He called the other night to invite me to go fishing on Martin Luther King’s birthday. Jeff’s a serious fishing writer, but when the two of us get together, things can get crazy.
We bought some frozen shrimp, small hooks and egg sinkers for about 10 bucks. We obtained free chum by raking oysters and barnacles off bridge fenders with the anchor. Then we anchored up in a sheepshead hole and proceeded to catch those delicious but wily “convict fish.” While we fished, we talked about the folly of throwing everything back.
A strong west wind was blowing, so I suggested we sight fish for laid-up snook, redfish and speckled trout along the lee shore of the Indian River Lagoon. Normally these are all catch-and-release prospects because the fish just aren’t that abundant.
“Screw that,” Jeff said. “Let’s go catch something else we can eat. As expensive as fuel and groceries are, it’s like walking past a $20 bill on the sidewalk.”
Good point. Since were close by, we ran out to the Spanish mackerel hole when the tide slowed and the sheepshead bite stopped, and quickly put enough fish in the cooler for two meals. Between the two of us we, figure we spent $50 bucks on a very fun and productive, and came home with two meals of fresh fish that we both can cook as well as most chefs, which makes Mrs. Weakley and Mrs. Gibson most happy.
Times are tough, but tough times put things in perspective and make you appreciate the little things like a good day of easy fishing, friends and fish dinners. I’m all for fishing responsibly and always do. But, to me, there’s nothing wrong with keeping a few fish for a fine meal. What do you guys think? Does catch-and-release sometimes go a bit too far?
[ Read Full Post ] January 23, 2009 by
Northeast
The best thing to do after a big party is go fishing. After the inauguration, anglers in Washington will probably be looking to wet a line this weekend and they need look no further than the Heritage Waterways in South Eastern, Pennsylvania. Griz at Urban Angler in Arlington told us that the best bet is to head to the warm spring-fed creeks around Boiling Springs, PA. The water coming out of the ground stays at 52 to 54 degrees all winter and the native trout gather to escape the cold. Griz recommends newbies fish Yellow Breeches creek. “It’s a good place to cut your teeth,” he says, explaining that the creek is close to the car and close to town.
He suggests that anglers park at Yellow Breeches Park and fish with a pheasant tail nymph or green weenie on a 4 to 5 wt. rod. “The cool thing about this part of the creek is you can fish it with conventional tackle, too,” he says. For more of a challenge, Griz recommends anglers heading out to Spring Creek and fishing for big brown trout. “Get out and shake off the cabin fever,” he urges anglers.
Southeast
Anglers living in Columbus, Georgia are lucky to have the Congaree River cutting through the center of town. Jake Mitchum at The Tackle Shop on Meeting Street is only a short walk from the river and the fish. “You can fish anywhere on the River Walk that runs through town,” he told us. Jake says that crappie and shellcrackers are available to guys soaking nightcrawlers or blue worms with No. 4 or No. 6 hooks. He told us that folks heading up to Lake Murray are finding better action on panfish while catfish are taking cut bait fished on the bottom. Jake suggests looking for crappies on any of the points that are in 6 to 8 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the bank of the lake have the best shot of landing a catfish up to 30 pounds.
South
After leading the free world for eight years, George Bush is probably anxious to go fishing. Luckily, the bass bite has been pretty good around Crawford, Texas. James McBride at Waco Bait and Tackle told us that the best action has been on Lake Whitney. He suggests working crankbaits and jigs slowly around rocks and through downed timber. James tells anglers to switch crankbait styles and work different water levels they locate feeding fish. “The water level is low,” James told us, “but you can still launch a boat above the dam.”
Midwest
While the new President settles into the White House he’s missing some good fishing back home in Chicago. Randy Filas at Henry’s Sport Shop reported that perch are biting at Burnham Harbor on the Lakefront. Anglers jigging small minnows and spikes through the ice are scoring good catches of fat perch. “Start jigging the bottom then bring the bait up until you locate the level where the fish are feeding,” Randy tells us. Brown trout are active on Montrose and Bellmont. Randy recommends fishing golden roaches on tip ups. One of the best locations to target browns is the powerplant on the State Line. Wolf Lake is hosting walleye and bass on its Illinois shore and big pike near the island on the Indiana side of the water.
West
The Pacific Northwest is a great place to escape the winter doldrums and do some fishing. Al Dalrymple at Outdoor Emporium reports that the steelhead run is still on at the Snoqualmie River. Al told us that anglers fishing Powerbaits or egg clusters on a Carolina rig with ¼ ounce eggsinker and No. 8 worm hook are connecting with keeper steelhead from the boats and the bank. Crews heading up to Rufus Woods are catching triploid rainbows with Powerbait worms on 1/8 ounce jigs or under floats. He suggests fishing around the Chief Joseph Dam. Al also had reports of big blackmouth being pulled from Hat Island and Saratoga Pass. “Fish a Coho Killer close to the bottom,” he suggests.
[ Read Full Post ] January 18, 2009 by
Some of my friends in the conservation community are ecstatic over Obama's nominee to run NMFS, Jane Lubchenko, and his pledge to make protecting fisheries and habitats a priority. Others are worried that with a democratic majority in Congress, the "enviros" will lock recreational fishermen out. Since I've spent much of my career fighting for access and to protect Essential Fish Habitat on local, state, federal and international levels—often partnering with environmental groups--many have asked my opinion about recreational fishing access and opportunities over the next four years.
In a nutshell, I think we will lose some freedoms, but enjoy healthier fisheries. Over-fishing laws will be strictly enforced; therefore it is doubly important to make sure that the recreational community fights for a share of the allotment on species such as fluke, snappers and groupers that reflects our enormous economic impact. My personal opinion is that some types of commercial fishing should go the way of market hunting, at least in those stressed fisheries where the public demand and benefit from recreational fishing greatly exceeds the benefits of commercial fishing. Striped bass, snappers and groupers are prime examples of species in need gamefish status. Just look at the benefits we reaped by making red drum a gamefish. But systems such as Individual Fishing Quotas and Dedicated Access Privileges, however well meaning and effective in some cases, may permanently vest commercial interests in fisheries such as the snapper/grouper complex that they should be permanently locked out of.
No-fishing zones within Marine Protected Areas will be implemented increasingly. Let's hope that they really do make the fishing better outside the boundaries. We'll also probably see more idle- and "pole-and-troll" only zones in places like Everglades National Park. These may consume precious time on the water, but where they've been implemented, e.g. the Mosquito Lagoon and Florida Keys, they've proved wildly popular. You just don't have jet skis and sundry idiots burning the flat in front of you, and the seagrasses are so healthy the zones are fish magnets.
Ecosystem Based Management is a concept that promises better fishing if we curtail pollution and other unsustainable practices, including canal discharges, large-scale dredging projects to protect unsustainable coastal development, coastal armoring and other “sins.” It is management of the resource for the sake of the resource, with communities benefitting more greatly from the largesse of teeming estuary, for example. I also think we’ll won’t so often lose functional access to our favorite due to things like pollution, water mis-management and sundry Army Corps boondoggles. If Obama’s stimulus package includes funds for legitimate habitat restoration projects, we may gain more fishing spots and fishing days in degraded areas.
It’s important to see this bank and shoal of time as a time of change and opportunity. It’s never been more important to focus on things we agree upon amongst the rec fishing community and the environmental community, and to blur any such distinctions. We have huge opportunities to win on issues such as habitat protection and water-quality improvement. We must use our enormous potential political energy to foment those changes. As a good friend of mine, who is scarred and decorated veteran of fisheries management likes to say, you’re not a complete angler unless you’re engaged in protecting the places you love to fish.
[ Read Full Post ] January 16, 2009 by
Northeast
With the striped bass gone and blackfish season closed, New York anglers have been turning their attention to Cod. Joe Disalvo at Causeway Bait and Tackle reports that crews are finding limits of big cod on the wrecks and live bottom in 50 feet of water.
Skippers fishing deeper are finding sea bass in the mix. Joe reports that the long range bassing trips are returning with limits of keeper seabass. “We had one boat limit out on bass with fish up to 8 pounds, 7 ounces and two over 7 pounds,” Joe said. Inshore anglers are waiting for blackfish season to open over the weekend. Joe expects guys to find the fish on wrecks in 190 to 120 feet of water with green crab and hermit crab baits. “You have to be careful using hermit crabs,” Joe says, “sometimes they get hooked on hermits and they won’t bite anything else.” Locally, Joe says that the trout streams are producing a few cold fish. “Guys are fishing in tight quarters and it is brutally cold,” he said.
Southeast
Folks are stopping by Happy Hooker Tackle before heading to Lake Lanier in search of stripers. Carol Anne Grealish told us that anglers are loading up on large and medium minnows to slow troll around the lake. “Since the fish have slowed down, many guys are having better luck with medium minnows,” she said. With water levels up, Carol Anne expects anglers to do well on the stripers. Closer to home, anglers who are fishing Fort Yargo State Park and Lake Oconee are catching crappies with small jigs and crappie minnows. Many anglers are anxious for the catfish lakes to open up. Carol Anne explained that these impoundments are stocked with big catfish and open to anyone. She told us that anglers are using stinkbaits, large minnows, or leaches to catch these whiskered beasts. “We’ve had fish over 80 pounds taken out of the ponds,” she said.
South
According to Brent Roys at venicecharters.com, Venice, Louisiana is the redfish capital of the world. Even in the dead of winter, Brent and his anglers are averaging 100 redfish each day. He says that the fish are easy targets as they stage at the mouth of passes. “The best place has been Southwest Pass,” he told us. Brent is using a Deadly Dudley Terror Tail that he sprays liberally with Jajniappe Juice. He told us that high water in the river has made trout fishing tough, but the specks are hiding on the grass flats out of Burus. Brent suggests looking for shallows flats that border deeper holes. Then he sets up to drift Sparkle Beetle under a Rattle Cork popper. Offshore fishing is picking up steam with boats catching a few yellowfin on the Midnight Lump and more tuna on the semi-submerged rigs at night. He said that a few lucky anglers are still catching tuna with topwater poppers. “That tells you how good the fishing is,” he said.
Midwest
If you start to feel cold over the weekend, think of Don Skog and the folks at River Haus Bait Shop in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. “It’s 5 below zero,” Don said, “and the ice on Lake Winnebago is 20 inches thick.” Still, Don says that die hards are heading out on the ice to catch good numbers of bluegill and crappies. Don points anglers to Green Lake, which is over 100 feet deep. Don explains that the deep water keeps the water warmer and the fish more active. Guys who are camping out on the ice and jigging red and white spikes and wigglers are catching good numbers of big panfish. Don suggests guys check out the wind-tips, which bob use the wind to bob a jig up and down. “It’s going to warm up to the 20s this weekend,” he said, “so there will be a lot of people fishing on the ice.”
West
Matt Magnone at Last Chance Tackle is heading to Diamond Valley Lake this weekend to target big striped bass and largemouth. He told us that an early spell of warm weather has the fish in pre-sqawn mode, which is good news for the fishermen. Early in the morning, he has been finding striper feeding on the surface in the northeast coves of the lake. Matt says that the striper are suckers for an 8 to 12 inch triple trout BBZ or Z plug. “Right now the largemouth are deep,” Matt said, “but once the water temperature gets over 60 degrees they’ll move shallow.” He has been dropping a watermelon Baby Brush Hog on a Carolina rig on points in 50 feet of water. When the fish move into the shallows, he’ll switch to a jerkbaits and crankbaits. “With an early pre spawn, we’re in for some weird fishing,” he says.
[ Read Full Post ] January 10, 2009 by 
Northeast
As the weather gets colder, ice fishing is heating up on Lake Erie. Lisa Green at Happy Hooker (www.happyhookerbaitshop.com) in Buffalo, New York, reports that Burtus Bay is covered with 5 to 6 inches of ice and anglers are already reporting steady catches of perch and bluegill. Lisa said that the hot bait has been a wax worm, maggots mousies on a jig. “A lot of guys will pop the eyes out of a perch and use them for bait,” she adds. Guys setting tip up rods with golden or emerald shiners are landing some nice-sized walleye. Walleye and muskeye fishing will get better as the ice gets thicker, Lisa told us. “We’re expecting some real cold weather over the next couple of days,” she said, “we’re really excited.” Brrrr.
Southeast
Even if the weather has been cold, anglers fishing the Mid-Atlantic will stay warm through the winter by cranking on big fish. Action out of South Eastern Virginia has been on fire from offshore to inshore to the backwaters. Believe it or not, even during the deep freeze anglers are still finding speckled trout and red drum in the skinny water. Winter fishing often produces some of the biggest speckled trout for guys who are patient enough to wait out the cold at any of the local speck holes. The warm-water discharges from the local power plants are favorite hang-outs for gator trout and live mullet are the favorite bait. Both are difficult to find, but when everything comes together die-hards are scoring trout over 10 pounds. Luckily, striped bass are easy to find. Crews trolling plugs, parachutes, umbrellas, and spoons from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Eastern Shore of Virginia are catching impressive numbers of striped bass averaging between 38 and 43 inches with some bigger fish mixed in. Even though striper season in Chesapeake Bay is closed, striper junkies can still catch and release fish through the winter. With fewer anglers on the water and more monster rockfish in the water, it is a perfect time to drop live eels into the pilings of the bridge on a three way rig or under bobbers. Tog are also biting on the CBBT and nearshore wrecks. Last weekend, Captain Craig Paige (www.paige2charters.com) took a personal day and landed an 18-pound tog—which is his personal best. Even though the tuna and marlin have headed to warmer waters, there is still plenty of fish to catch offshore. While most anglers were chasing rockfish along the beach, some crews are electing to target black sea bass, tilefish, and grouper on the deep water wrecks and live bottom. Farther south, anglers fishing out of Hatteras have been catching blackfin tuna with butterfly jigs until their arms hurt. For links to all the fishing action in the East, check out (www.thefishingblitz.com) No matter how cold it gets this winter, Mid-Atlantic anglers are sure to break a sweat cranking on big fish.
South
“We have a rare situation on Lake Martin,” reports B.J. Barnett at Fish Tales in Alexander, Alabama. He explained that abnormally warm weather has kept the striped bass active on the lake. “They are still schooled up and feeding on the surface,” he said. B.J. suggests fishing out of Wind Creek State Park. “Guys are marking bait and fish as they idle away from the launch ramp,” he said. Most anglers are trolling live shad or black salties behind planer boards, but B.J. said that lucky fishermen are finding the striper feeding on the surface. “Guys are going crazy,” he said, “using bear-hair bucktails or Zara Spooks.”
Midwest
“Plenty of ice, plenty of snow, and plenty of fish,” is how Scott VanValkenburg at Fisherman’s Corner (www.fishermanscorner.com) described fishing out of Duluth, Minnesota. Scott told us that anglers have already plowed roads across Pike, Fish, and Grand Lakes. “There are already 100 permanent ice holes and guys are fishing every day.” Scott says that Pike Lake has been one of the hottest perch lakes. He says that the perch are biting best between 9 and 3 in the afternoon. Early in the morning and just before dark, crappie and walleye go on the feed. “Fish Lake has been the best lake for crappies up to 12 inches,” he added. Scott says that a glow-in-the-dark Demon jig has been the ticket for these slabs. Bluegill are responding to wax worms and Gulp! maggots.
West
Utah is a winter sports paradise and the fishing is as good as the skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting. Dan Smith at Fish Tech (www.fishtechoutfitters.com) reported a buffet of species available for anglers who venture out on the ice. “Lake Mantua and Lake Utah are holding bluegill, perch, trout, walleye, and largemouth,” he said. Dan tells us that that each of these species will respond to a 1½-inch tube jig tipped with a wax worm. Anglers fishing Lake Mantua are setting up around weed beds, while the marinas in Lake Utah have been the most productive locations. Dan also point anglers to Flaming Gorge Reservoir where burbot are eating everything in sight. “They’re ferocious and the law requires anglers to keep all the fish that they catch,” Dan says. He suggests fishing the shallows with a glow tube jig and chunk of sucker meat. He added that Strawberry Reservoir has produced rainbow trout to 11 pounds for guys dunking wax worms and tube jigs directly off the boat ramp. “The ice is thick and the fish are biting.” —Ric Burnley
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