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Red Snapper: A Way to End the War?

TOP SHOT — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:21:32 -0500

In all the rhetoric surrounding the unbelievably contentious issue of red snapper management these days, with devastating seasonal/bag restrictions and even complete closures haunting the future of major coastal sport fisheries Texas to Georgia, there's been one element glaringly missing: alternative solutions that might manage to satisfy federal law while not obliterating entire fisheries.

Bob Shipp has given me a sneak peak at just that. A "common-sense approach" he's derived could offer hope.

Shipp's an enthusiastic angler, but beyond that, the Ph.D. biologist is chair of the Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama. He's also a veteran Gulf Council member (in fact, currently the council's chairman).

And on the confounding red snapper mess, Shipp says, "It's time to call 'time out'!"

First, he notes that Gulf red snapper stocks are increasing; neither anglers nor scientists can quibble about that, only about the rate of that increase. Moreover, data in recent years shows what fishermen already know: snapper keep getting larger (on average) and more abundant.

That should be great news but the downside is that anglers have regularly and considerably exceeded their annual quotas, even when fisheries managers have tried to reign that in with shorter seasons and reduced bag limits. This also accomplishes the negative result of greater release morality.

Shipp says the current approach isn't working. I don't think he'll get much argument from any side on that.

"It's time to look at a different approach - one that would greatly reduce the waste and at the same time safeguard the stock for the future."

Here's Shipp's approach to red snapper management:

Red snapper in the Gulf occur from depths as shallow as five fathoms to one hundred fathoms. Where structure is present they are naturally abundant at all these depths. In addition, as are most reef associated species, they show high site fidelity. This suggests an areal closure [within a specific area] of a portion of their range could be an effective tool toward maintaining a healthy stock.

I would suggest that this would be a temporary closure, not to be confused with creation of a marine protected area (MPA). Its duration would be determined by the time required to put in place the necessary fishery-independent data to improve the stock assessment for red snapper. Currently the stock assessment suffers from heavy reliance on fishery-dependent data, which reflects bias due to fishing practices (e.g. commercial fishers targeting small snapper which bring higher prices) and lacks credibility due to the current method of gathering recreational catch data.

The scope of the closure would be determined by bathymetric analysis. Certainly closure of a significant percentage of the species range would be required, and logic would dictate this be in the deeper portion, thus reducing release mortality.

If the fishery were conducted in 20 fathoms or less, it appears these criteria could be met.

To further ensure protection of the stocks, bag and size limits could provide additional safeguards, but certainly ones far more liberal than are currently in place. This would greatly reduce the mortality incurred when seasonal closures result in anglers targeting other species but continue catching red snapper which have become so abundant.

The commercial sector must be addressed in a plan such as this, but this would follow the implementation for the recreational sector. Also, compliance with The Magnuson Act would have to be determined, but certainly this system would better address the ten National Standards of that act.

Steamed Straw Shrimp

FFSWEdit — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:25:25 -0500

Plenty of letters, comments and article submissions come across my desk on a daily basis. This one gave me a good chuckle, however, so I figured I'd share with you.

In a letter with no phone number or email address, a gent from California named Gaston Chan sent a pair of rather interesting shrimp patterns (yes, as you can see in these pics I snapped, they're tied from a drinking straw). The witty Gaston writes:

"My friend Clifford is an avid, no, rabid, fisherman. He can be found at least 200 days a year on any body of water large enough to float his Boston Whaler. He is also very handy and makes his own lures. Well, here's one he made that I would like to submit to your readers for their approval. The straw from last night's pina colada can be put to good use...If you should try and make a mess like I did, I am confident that I can persuade friend Clifford to put together a few for your next outing to the flats. I dare say that production tying is definitely out of the question."

Maybe, Gaston, but I'm pretty impressed! And I think Clifford's nailed the "material's" coloration, too - a perfect mimic of the pinkish hue of a steamed shrimp boiling in a pot! Masterful!

I'll bet you could cast these babies with a 9-weight. But I'm not so sure the materials would flutter like feathers. All in all, however, VERY creative!

I have no idea whose original design this is, so don't ask. But Gaston directs us to this webpage for further instruction. Not sure if this was originally posted by the mysterious "Clifford," but hope you enjoy.

Gaston, drop me an email, I'd love to hear more. In the meantime, to one and all, enjoy your pina coladas - and happy tying,

Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor

Boat Show a Bellwether?

Chris Woodward — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:28:31 -0500

Lauderdale event's 50th year boosts hopes for boaters

Today's economy still feels like a tight band around the chest - no one can really breathe easily. So when events like this past week's 50th Anniversary Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) put the marine industry on display, everyone starts looking for signs of relief. Thankfully, we saw some.

Advance ticket sales were up 20 percent over 2008, according to stats given at a pre-show press conference. Post-show comments suggested traffic was light but that attendance was "quality." FLIBS generally attracts about 100,000 attendees from all over the world.

Amid the booth chatter on Friday, marine-accessories dealers talked about brisk early sales. Boat manufacturers at the Bahia Mar site (considered the home base among FLIBS' six locations) marveled at the healthy crowds walking the docks. And indeed, even the weekday throngs made it difficult for editors to find and talk with our usual information sources.

Weather favored the show this year with bright skies and warm temperatures. That may have driven more attendees to the open-air Bahia Mar location rather than the indoor booths at the Broward County Convention Center, The number of convention-center exhibitors had dropped (though several simply moved to Bahia Mar.)

A handful of boat manufacturers brought new hulls to the show, including Scout, Boston Whaler, Yellowfin, Sea Vee, Contender, Edgewater and Hell's Bay. Outboard companies introduced - quietly - several smaller horsepower models developed during 2009: 125 Mercury Optimax, Honda BF60, Suzuki DF60A and Yamaha T25/F25. (Stay tuned for a major Yamaha rollout!)

Marine electronics companies showed strength with new or recently debuted Raymarine, Furuno, Simrad, Lowrance and Humminbird units plus product from safety companies such as ACR, makers of EPIRBs and PLBs, and SPOT, which introduced a new satellite-based security, recovery and messaging product.

You'll see more on these new offerings in the pages of our January issue - our traditional Boat Buyers Source Book - and in late winter/spring SF magazines. And if you couldn't make the Fort Lauderdale boat show, the Miami show is right around the corner: February 11-15.

The bright news: Trepidation seems to be waning...AND there are some true bargains to be had.

Boat-Show Buzz

MarlinEdit — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:03:40 -0400

We're just getting ready to ship a magazine out the door and head down to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Wednesday to see the latest and greatest offerings from the world's premier boat companies. It's usually a big time for all of us editorial types since we get to walk around on nice boats during the day and eat at fancy restaurants on an ad rep's tab each night.

But it's not all fun and games. Boat shows are a good time to catch up with a lot of buddies who are normally spread out over God's creation exploring some hot new bite. Walking the docks puts a beating on your feet as well, and I have to say that after 17 Lauderdale shows in a row, I'm not the one staying out and partying until 4 a.m. anymore. As much fun as a boat show can be, just like a trip offshore in heavy seas, they are no place to go with a hangover.

Everyone knows that things have been a bit rough in the marine market lately, but several boat manufacturers I've talked to have seen some upticks in interest, and many are heading into the show with a good deal of optimism.

Regardless of the state of the economy, one thing's for sure: The fish don't care. The white marlin snapped like wild dogs all along the Atlantic Seaboard this summer; St. Thomas enjoyed an excellent season; and the blacks and blues started showing up early off Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. And since you can't get out to any of these great bites in granddaddy's Coleman canoe, head on down to Fort Lauderdale this weekend, pick up a nice new boat for a song and get this ball rolling again.

It's Raining in Cabo

MarlinEdit — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:04:18 -0400

I've probably been to Cabo San Lucas on the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico 15 times - either running the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament or hosting a Marlin University session. In all those times, I've never seen it rain a drop. This year, as my inbound plan banked over the peninsula, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Instead of a stark brown desert interrupted by spurts of green, I looked down on a verdant plain. It looked like the top of a jungle.

Once on the ground, I stepped off the bottom step into a six-inch-deep torrent of water running off the tarmac. Mountains usually visible from the airport stood shrouded in clouds, mist and rain.

On the way to the hotel, the cab driver said it had been raining on and off for 48 hours and that a tropical storm was heading right for Cabo - just in time to ruin my one chance of getting some fishing under my belt. And this trip isn't any bed of roses under the best of circumstances. I'm the committee boat (radio man) for the tournament, recording all the catches, giving release codes, relaying weights, etc. The job starts at 5:00 a.m., and I have to stay close to that radio until 4:00 p.m. Then I get to run down to the weigh scale and critique the photography skills of 60 eager anglers, who have usually just bought their camera the day before.

And since photographing a charged-up striped marlin on the leader can be a bit tricky, I see a lot of splashes, shadows and bright spots that end up as disqualified fish. Almost as many more are DQ'd because the time-and-date stamp isn't set properly. Now whose fault do you think this is? The team captain? The photographer? Nope. For some reason, it seems to be mine.

So now I get to sit in my luxurious hotel room and watch it rain, waiting for the tournament to start.

The tournament kickoff party, usually an outdoor affair right on the beach, has moved to a ballroom, and we might not be able to fish the first day - or even the second. This could turn out to be a one-day shootout for all the cake. If only I could be so lucky.

Pew plan a travesty for Australia: Fishermen don't matter

TOP SHOT — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:17:12 -0400

Have you heard about the proposed Gulf of Mexico Heritage Park that will close the entire Gulf from southern Texas to Key West from 20 miles out to all recreational fishing?

Probably not, since I just made that up.

But I'll bet I got your attention.

And your full attention is warranted to understand what our sport-fishing counterparts Down Under are facing right now with a very real Coral Sea Heritage Park proposal.

There's been a great deal of concern in the U.S. recreational fishing community (RFC) that this administration will embark upon a campaign to create a vast network of marine sanctuaries that would be closed to any and all fishing. Recently, a letter from NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco has come to light that suggests her agency has no plans to do so in the near future. While that may offer some relief, I think complacency may be risky. What is happening in Australia is cause for great concern, but even more frightening is the way it is happening, with the world's most powerful international environmental organization sending the message to an estimated five million Australian anglers and their nearly $700 billion economic contribution that you and your sport are not important whatsoever.

As part of its Global Ocean Legacy campaign, the Pew Foundation has launched a very impressive, well-organized and slick campaign to close to all extractive uses a stunningly immense chunk of the Pacific off Australia's fertile northeast coast.

Yes, that means absolutely no one would ever be allowed to wet a line anywhere at any time within this vast area which extends all the way out to the 200 nautical-mile limit of the country's jurisdiction.

A battle of sorts has been raging over there ... though "battle" may be the wrong term because certainly there's little comparing the resources of Queensland's RFC with the power, influence and money behind Pew. Still, the community is attempting to bring some sanity into whatever debate it can rouse.

You'll find below several links to give you a better picture of this fiasco in the making. Starting with another interview where an editor questions a top Pew policymaker. This interview appeared in Fishing World magazine, a leading Australian angling publication, and the director of the Pew's Australia campaign, Imogen Zethoven.

I should emphasize here that this is not simply "an Australian concern." If you love to fish salt water, it is your concern and mine. Pew is a U.S. environmental non-governmental organization which is reaching its long arms around the globe. And yes, if it's successful in this geographically enormous undertaking, it's not unreasonable to worry if Pew may not begin looking to establish more such "heritage parks," much closer to home.

In his interview in Sport Fishing (June 2009), the head of Pew's Environment Group, Josh Reichert, told readers he wants to find ways to work with (vs. against) recreational fishermen. When I pressed him on marine closures, Reichert acknowledged their main efforts are now overseas but added, "That's not to say we might not [in major efforts to create reserves in U.S. coastal waters] in the future."

My sense, after spending an hour chatting with Reichert, was of an honorable, decent and committed man. I still have no doubt of that. On the other hand, I should add that I am increasingly wondering just how much interest Pew really has in working with recreational anglers, afraid Pew's goals may indeed be the juggernaut that rolls over those who love the sport as I do.

Certainly this Coral Sea campaign certainly has me thinking that way.

My friend and colleague Jim Harnwell, publisher of Fishing World, had read the SF/Pew interview with great interest. Recently, he contacted me, hoping I could get Reichert to talk with him directly since he had had absolutely no luck in attempts to find any middle ground on this issue with Zethoven. Like me, Harnwell had the impression from the SF interview that Reichert might be interested in working with recreational fishing community to craft some sort of compromise solution.
Apparently not.

My personal pleas to Reichert and others at Pew HQ (in D.C.) to at least talk to Harnwell proved completely ineffectual.

Harnwell's' frustrations were evident in a subsequent editorial.

I've long tried to give Pew the benefit of many doubts. I'm increasingly finding myself in the ranks of the very, very worried when it comes to what Pew can do and what it very well may do - particularly with the Coral Sea park as an example.

Why? Here's some further food for thought.

1. The proposed Coral Sea Heritage Park (CSHP) is immense. You have to see the map to appreciate its size.
2. The CSHP is not in the middle of the Pacific; it's just off the Australian coast -- and closes waters off the entire northern half of the continent (think: North Carolina to Maine!) out to 200 nautical miles.
3. The CSHP doesn't lock up every possible, fishable inch of coastline only because for its entire length there is already a well-established Australia Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - right up against which the CSHP abuts.
4. A surprising amount of available reef platform and coral bank area in the Coral Sea region is already off-limits to sport fishing. About 30 percent of the multiple-use marine park already is closed to fishing (an area that Pew itself boasts covers more than 115,000 square kilometers). On top of that, more than 60 percent of the available reef and bank area in the proposed CSHP is already off-limits to fishing, with huge areas around Lihou and Coringa-Herald nature reserves completely closed.
5. The Coral Sea is already a surprisingly protected water. Besides so much of the sea already closed to fishing, as noted, recreational fishing is heavily regulated. Since 2003, harvest of a number of reef species is prohibited and other reef fish must be at least 25 centimeters with a combined bag limit of five fish. "Recreational fishing in [these waters] is highly regulated and well managed in comparison to other areas of the world," says Ben Diggles, PhD, an Australian fisheries scientist and Sport Fishing's Western Pacific Fish Facts expert for many years.
6. The CSHP declares that all sport fishing will be illegal in this vast site -- period. We need to spend a bit more time on this one, and I'll come back to it in a bit.

Actually, the idea of any need to close off this entire area to any/all recreational fishing does seem like someone's idea of a lousy joke. As noted, so little sport fishing occurs this far off the coast that even calling it "negligible" attributes more effort than warranted.

But if that's the case, why should anglers be upset about an area hardly any of them fish? I can offer a couple compelling reasons, one of these put forth by Diggles. The thought of ever in a lifetime getting a chance to fish any of these remote, untouched reefs is akin to the idea of a rock-climber's ascending Mount Everest; you may never get the chance for an expedition there, but will always be a pinnacle - that opportunity of a lifetime to take an ultimate adventure for millions of angling enthusiasts around the world.

Beyond this, and more worrisome, is the idea that you'll find if you read through the CSHP proposal.

The Pew literature maintains that the only way to protect the reefs and their resources is to close the entire vast area to any activity that might extract anything whatsoever. In Fishing World's must-read interview with Pew, Ms. Zethoven can't really dispute that recreational fishing would remain infinitesimal in any impact or footprint that a handful of boats (mostly releasing their fish) could possibly make in the CSHP, or that it's completely unfair to lump it in with commercial/industrial trawling or with longliners each dragging miles of hooks. No, she doesn't need to dispute that because it's all completely irrelevant to her.

Zethoven's attitude and that of Pew sure seems to be, no we have no evidence that sport fishing is harming these resources and yes, sport fishing may well be virtually non-extractive in any significant statistical sense, but we don't care. The easiest, quickest route to get what we're after is to just post it "closed to all fishing" and be done with it.

Let fishermen find another sport.

That modus operandi is scary indeed. I am very worried at the ease with which Pew is willing for expedience to de facto lump any/all recreational fishing with large-scale commercial activity. After all, recreational fishing thrives primarily upon the opportunity to try to catch fish; the success of commercial fishing depends upon its actually extracting large quantities of fish over and over. There is a difference, Ms. Zethoven!

Consider what Pew specifically states it aims to protect with this CSHP proposal off the Australian coast:

Sea turtles, whales and seabirds. And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
Corals from bleaching. And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
The area's "cultural heritage" (for its role as an arena in pivotal WW II naval battles). And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
The area's "civic heritage" (where some remarkable shipwrecks have occurred).And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
"Globally threatened" species such as billfishes, tunas and sharks. And making sport fishing - which keeps few tuna and virtually no marlin or sharks - illegal would accomplish this how?
Australia's status as a global marine leader. And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
Mammals and large fish from the growing, acknowledged commercial bycatch. And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
Seamounts from "destructive bottom trawlers." And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
Spectacular biodiversity of large fishes and coral reefs.
And making sport fishing - of which precious little occurs here and is mostly catch/release - illegal would accomplish this how?
Nursery areas for marine animals.
And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?
"The growth of sustainable tourism industries."
And making sport fishing illegal would accomplish this how?

Reading the Fishing World interview, I was struck by how hard Harnwell works to extract (pardon the expression) even a hint of willingness from Zethoven to work cooperatively with the recreational-fishing community. He keeps referring to some "middle ground" in the difficult dispute, though she'll have none of that.

Yet it occurs to me that recreational interests here have already been forced into that "middle ground." That is, if we were truly talking about a middle ground, then we'd be looking at Pew's goals to close the entire Coral Sea to sport fishing on the one hand, and at recreational fishermen's goal to open the entire sea to sport fishing on the other. Then between those two objectives would lie some middle ground.

However, sport fishermen have already given up any right to fish large areas within the CSHP boundaries (as well as closed areas in the existing Barrier Reef park) and, I think they'd be willing to abide by further closures. They're only asking that this proposal not lock up every square inch of the coral sea and throw away the key.

I feel compelled here to return to this salient thought: this time it's about Australia. Next time it could indeed be about the Gulf of Mexico or Chesapeake Bay or Puget Sound or any place else Pew determines needs to be "protected" from the ravages of anglers. I admit that I've worked hard to avoid jumping on any ostensible alarmist bandwagons. But upon seeing how the Pew effort is wielding its considerable power and influence (and some might maintain, arrogance) like a club when it comes to dealing with Australia's recreational-fishing community, my attitude is changing.

The eyes of millions of sport-fishing enthusiasts should be focused on the Australian situation as indicative of the way Pew may deal with recreational fishing in general, not just in Australia. If that's the case, let's go fishing while we can. We may soon find ourselves in the same metaphorical boat as our Aussie mates - who, in Pew's plan, will be competing to drop lines in suddenly very limited reef areas - crowded into fewer and fewer "fishing-permitted" zones.

You can comment on Doug's blog here

Buried in Teasers

MarlinEdit — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:01:29 -0400

My office smells like a rubber chicken. Every time someone walks in, I have to hear the, "Phew! What stinks in here?" along with the accusing evil eye. No, I don't have a latex fetish; I'm just buried under a pile of rubber teasers.

Our November issue includes a feature article on using big teasers, so I contacted a few folks in the industry and had them send in some samples for photography. Everyone was more than eager to get their products featured, so they sent a bunch of nice stuff for us to photograph. Black Bart lures sent us a beautiful set of Extreme Breakfast and Lunch teasers, both in nice color schemes. Once you get one of these babies in your hands, then you really know where your money is going - they boast some of the finest finishes I've ever seen.

Marlin-X sent one of its giant sailfish teasers, and I have to say, this thing is awesome. I don't want to spill all the beans here before you see the magazine, but it's already been in New Products, so you can take a peek at it there.

Unfortunately, I couldn't include a bunch of giant spreader bars and dredges made by Chuck Richardson at Tournament Cable. These things are huge - a bit too big for my photographic skills to do justice. I've got one dredge in here, a three-tiered job, that holds a butt load of 11-inch rubber baits and must look awesome in the water. (Unfortunately, it's the main culprit in my office odor problem - better store this baby outside until you rinse it off!)

We've also got a little bit in there about the Marlin Mudflap teasers and photos of some of the old standbys. Tormentor's got its Bowling Pins and Birds, and Mold Craft makes a big showing with its Enormous Johnson (my favorite name in all of lure-dom), Squid Chain and Four-Eyed Monster, proving once again that as much as things change in this sport, it's amazing how much stays the same.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show at the end of October.

And keep visiting our website - some of these teasers I mentioned are going to wind up as prizes in our contests. (Not this Marlin-X sailfish, though; that bugger is mine!)

Social Fishing

Chris Woodward — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:27:10 -0400

Fishing is all about friendships and storytelling. So it's no wonder website forums became instantly popular as bragging boards and informational highways. Forums remain a positive venue for many anglers, but more and more I see online fishing communication flourishing at social networking sites.

The two most popular such sites currently - Twitter and Facebook - operate differently but both can be accessed via computer or a portable device like a cell phone or iPod. I find Twitter great for keeping up with announcements from fishing advocacy groups (CCA, The Billfish Foundation), fishery managers (South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission), and industry retailers (Costa Del Mar, Cabela's, LL Bean, Bass Pro, Navionics).

Facebook gives me more personal interaction with friends and acquaintances in the industry. I quickly learn about and see pictures (sometimes uploaded on the spot via cell) from hot tuna bites in the Northeast and salmon runs in the Northwest; several of our regular freelancers post their weekly photo portfolios - all without the semi-anonymous banter rampant in some forums. That's because I can pick my contacts on Facebook and Twitter.

I do limit my "friends" to people with whom I've previously communicated or worked. That's for safety's sake, and because Facebook is like one continuous party line. Yeah, sometimes someone gets an itch to rant, but I can hide those comments from my news feed.

Twitter limits messages to a certain number of characters; photos only appear as links to their original source. There's also no real outlet for public spewing. What you get is nice, neat volleys of info to keep up with a host of fishing-related entities.

Sport Fishing has both forum (http://forums.sportfishingmag.com/) and social-networking presence (http://twitter.com/SportFishingMag and http://www.facebook.com/SportFishing). Our forums are chock-full of great information and insights from our editors and other anglers, and if you feel like espousing a cause, go right ahead.

Our Twitter and Facebook pages have just ramped up, but that's where we'll publicize new website content and photo contest information, link to these biweekly enewsletters, and share other tidbits from the fishing world and our own backyards.

Of course, the web never will eclipse magazines for pleasurable reading and beautiful photography, but with social networking, now we can stay on top of breaking information, buy gear on sale, and find hot bites before we plan a fishing weekend.

Tweet On!

Retailer Wrap-up

FFSWEdit — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:22:46 -0400

Recently returned from the Flyfishing Retailer Expo in Denver, Colorado. Exhibitor space may have been down about 25 percent from last year's show, but there is no question that some serious business was being conducted in the halls of the Denver Convention Center.

Matter of fact, I think it's safe to say that virtually everyone in attendance was rather shocked at the volume of orders being taken. I'm not sure anyone has a clear vision of what lies ahead in 2010, but hopefully, some of the robust commerce on display in Denver will bode well for the coming year.

A fair amount of new products were unveiled. Sage has a hot new saltwater fly rod, the Xi3, while Scientific Anglers expanded its Sharkskin technology to a variety of sinking and clear-tip lines, which should prove very interesting.

Orvis and Nautilus both have new saltwater reels, the Mirage series and the NV 11/12, and Andy Mill was on - hand at the Hardy booth discussing some of his collaborations on a new saltwater line of hard goods that will debut this spring.

Scott was touting the very nice S4s saltwater stick, as well, while Simms unveiled a new line of insect - repelling apparel that features a technology they're calling "No Fly Zone." Simms even had a tank full of mosquitoes on - hand to demonstrate how the apparel repelled the critters. Seemed to work great!

Of course, much discussion during the week circulated around next year's show. According to event organizer AFFTA, three options are on the table. The show - which is owned by Nielson Business Media - will either:

Remain a standalone event in Denver;
Move to Salt Lake City, Utah;
Merge into the summertime Outdoor Retailer Expo (also owned by Nielson), with the stipulation that the fly-fishing portion would remain a separate entity from other niches.

A decision is expected around November of this year. Stay tuned...and stay warm this fall,

Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor

Wet and Wild in Panama

MarlinEdit — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:57:31 -0400

Although the fishing could have been a lot better, Panama sure offered up some grand adventures. Even getting out of the States wasn't easy. Everyone's flights were right on time, and we all met up in Miami for the trip over. After boarding our flight to Panama, however, things started to get a little funky.

About 30 minutes after taking our seats, the captain's voice cracked over the intercom explaining that one of the crewmen had spotted some sort of hydraulic leak and that they were trying to ascertain its source and whether or not it could be fixed. Now I don't know how familiar you are with the intricacies of aircraft mechanics, but anytime I hear the words "hydraulic leak" my mind immediately races through all the airplane disaster films I've seen, stopping at each reference to an aircraft suffering from this little problem, and let me tell you, none of the outcomes are good. As the captain droned on about how he didn't think they were going to be able to fix it, I'd already leapt up and gathered my things, eager to get off the death trap before they changed their minds and sent us up in piece of crap held together with bailing wire. (It's amazing how your mind races when your butt's on the line!) Luckily for all of us, my worst fears were unrealized; they couldn't fix the leak, and we all filed off to wait for another plane.

All I had to worry about now was catching the connecting charter flights in Panama that would take us to the island of San Jose.

We arrived in Panama City, about 1 1/2 hours late but still with plenty of daylight to make the short hop over to San Jose and the beautiful Hacienda del Mar resort.

As we loaded all of our guests into a twin-engine Otter for the flight, Walker Holcomb and I walked over to the ancient little four-seat Cessna that would be our ride. There wasn't enough room for all of us and our luggage on the Otter, so Holcomb and I volunteered to go over in the belly of the mosquito.

As the Otter roared to the runway and took off, our pilot, who looked like he might have just turned 17, instructed us to throw our bags in the back before folding ourselves up and crawling into the tiny plane. My first impression upon taking my seat was, "Holy crap, this thing is old!" Funky plastic chevrons, like the ones you saw in your dad's early model "oldsmo-buick" adorned the steering yokes, and seats were as dry and dusty as a pile of winter leaves. I swear this thing had to be hull number one!

I gave Walker a worried glance over my shoulder, and he responded with his usual snicker and pull off a bottle of rum he keeps handy for just such occasions. Not feeling too brave myself, I gave him the universal head nod for "gimme some!"

Now, with my belly boiling from the shot of straight, hot, cheap rum, the pilot climbed in beside me and started his preflight checks. Once all the appropriate knobs and chokes were pushed and pulled into their proper positions, the pilot turned the key. Nothing happened. After glancing through his checklist again, the pilot fiddled with the controls and fired her up again. This time the telltale murmurings of a dead battery or starter echoed through the little tin box. After several more attempts, he declared the plane dead. (Not that we would have left with my butt on it anyway; I'd already decided after about the third try that we weren't going to be leaving on this plane even if it did start.)

I spent a few frantic minutes trying to call the rest of our party on the Otter as they flew away, but got nothing. Since our van had left for the terminal, we were now stuck out on the hot blacktop tarmac, sweating as we waited for another bus, wondering where the heck we were going to stay the night and how we were going to get back over to the island in time to go fishing the next day.

Thirty minutes later another bus arrived, and we loaded up and headed for the Marriott. Our driver and the pilot assured us that we could get on another plane the next day before 6 a.m., but I didn't sleep a wink all night, wondering if we'd make it over in time for the first day's fishing. I shouldn't have worried - precisely at 5:00 our pilot picked us up and whisked us to another airport for our short flight to San Jose, and we made it just in time to get our butts kicked in the nastiest rainstorm we've ever encountered at a Marlin U. Even so, I was just happy to be there.

We ended up catching five sails and two blue marlin on Bushwacker with Capt. Skeet Reese, but the other boats didn't do as well. The fish seemed to be stacked up inside the edge, and most of our guys spent the majority of their time out a bit farther in blue water and came up short. Peter Wright's boat ended the trip with three blue marlin bites the last day; however, his students couldn't connect.

I will say that even though the fishing was bit slow for Panama standards, we couldn't have been happier with the resort. The Hacienda del Mar sits in an idyllic spot, and the food and accommodations were first-rate. I'm sure that we'll be back again.

Finally Heading to Panama

MarlinEdit — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:38:45 -0400

Tomorrow I'm heading off to Panama's Las Perlas Islands and the island of San Jose for our next session of Marlin University. This trip represents a first for us; we've never hosted a trip to Panama before, and I have to say I'm excited to get back there once again. Although I'm a little worried that we might run into a bunch of rain, my good friend Trevor Cockle got us to come down during the month of August since he's experienced some good blue bites during that time before.

Even though I've been to the Tropic Star Lodge a couple of times (and had a tremendous time - it's definitely a place that every fisherman should try to visit at least once!), I'm looking forward to fishing a new spot. After taking a quick look at our accommodations online at the Hacienda Del Mar (www.haciendadelmar.net), I'm probably not going to want to come back home. San Jose is a private island, and the only thing on it is the resort.

The fishing takes place a little farther offshore during the summer months, so we'll probably be running 30 or 40 miles each day to get to blue water. But if we can find it, then the fishing should be worth the effort. We're going to get to show the students some live-baiting as well as the incomparable Panama strip bait - so this trip should be an exciting one. We have four boats for this event, so I'll get to enjoy some more time with Charles Perry, Walker Holcomb and Capt. Peter B. Wright. Four boats means four good instructors, so our students will leave with an earful, probably not all gems, but a lot of information nevertheless. This marks our last Marin U for 2009, so thanks to all of you who might have joined us this past year! And if you haven't made it to a Marlin U, try to get out with us in 2010. We usually have a ball!

All That Glitters

TOP SHOT — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:50:03 -0400

For decades, sport fishermen from all over the world (particularly, of course, the United States) have converged on the remarkable Sea of Cortez, enjoying the abundance of marine life introduced to the public 60 years ago in John Steinbeck's chronicle, The Log from the Sea of Cortez.

One of the big and enduring draws to anglers: the vast numbers of dorado (dolphin or mahi) that pour into this yawning gulf between Mexico's mainland and its Baja peninsula. Those dorado are also a factor drawing in large numbers of billfish and big yellowfin, which also find them tasty meals.

A starkly revealing and chilling set of three short exposes now on YouTube (below) shows why dorado may soon become merely an occasional catch - and how Baja's coastal sport-fishing industry may lose one of its most compelling motivators for anglers to visit and spend great (by local standards) sums.

"Oro de Cortez" - the gold of Cortez - is about dorado and how Mexico is squandering this resource and perhaps largely the future of its great sea, "a sea of agony" in the words of the videos' narrator. Stark footage and candid interviews with fishermen, scientists and government officials won't give you any feel-good moments but these three reports should be watched. In them may lie some hope for change, while there's still time to save one of the world's most dynamic, beautiful game fish in one of the world's most idyllic settings.

The main culprits? Same old story: greed and longlines. Combine them and it spells devastation for things that eat baited hooks. That includes turtles, by the way. The videos suggest that thousands are dying in the Sea of Cortez on longline hooks.

Perhaps most surprising, for those not aware: Mexican law forbids the sale of dolphin. Yet tons and tons end up processed and shipped in black markets (mostly to the United States - apparently in violation of the Lacey Act). Most of that might be stopped but (1) loopholes permit "phantom fish cooperatives," as "Oro de Cortez" describes them, to easily obtain exceptions to laws forbidding longlining near the coast or the taking of dorado and (2) in any case, CONAPESCA, Mexico's fisheries agency, simple does not enforce laws.

If knowledge is power, perhaps these videos will help increase public awareness in Mexico and in the U.S. of how dire the situation is likely to soon become for Mexico's dorado, and help end the corruption and apathy that seem to keep the Mexican government from enforcing its own fisheries laws.

Test Blog Entry 2

Dean Travis Clarke — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:16:11 -0400

This is a test blog entry for Dean Travis Clarke

Pretty in Pink?

Chris Woodward — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:15:38 -0400

I've been editor of Sport Fishing magazine since 2001, but I've been a female angler all my life. In those many years, I have seen the industry and its angling public evolve to enfold more women, children and families. I've heard the watchdogs warn that fishing must broaden its appeal or face the imminent fade typical of traditional hook-and-bullet sports.

As a result, I've really noticed the proliferation of pink.

Pink rods, pink reels, pink shirts, pink tackle bags, pink hats, pink gloves. Yes, many of these products are produced by women-owned businesses and many also benefit breast cancer research - a vital cause that I must imagine all women gladly support. And pink is a color associated with breast-cancer charities. But must we have nothing but pink?

Personally, I avoid pink most of the time. It's not that I dislike the color; I do occasionally wear it. But I'm not the kind of woman who likes to make visual statements. Pink, especially in a fishing setting, says, "Hey, I'm FEMALE!!!"

I know some of you men and women disagree with me; many women like making statements. But I don't doubt that some of you feel the way I do. Give us green, blue, red, yellow; give us fancy thread wraps and custom painted blanks; give us iridescence. Yes, some of those colors and effects already exist in marketed products. But I know of none designed specifically for and marketed directly to women.

Unless you're a female who has fished many years, you're probably not keenly aware of how differently women fish compared with men. Those differences are based on our center of gravity, our arm strength, even our attitudes.

The author makes an unintended "non-pink" statement: Blue shirt, green shorts, gold rod and reel, redfish.

Men who want their female friends or spouses to fish - or simply want women to invest in the sport for its future - would definitely help the cause by investigating these angling differences and by finding out what women anglers will buy and advocating that to the industry. Does pink encourage or discourage fishing participation? Can you find gear customizable for females of varying sizes, or are you willing to tell the industry that it's time to design pink and nonpink gear for women?

To that end, I've been discussing the pink issue with members of the industry and other media. Tammy Sapp, who publishes the Women's Outdoor Wire (www.womensoutdoorwire.com) and who formerly ran the communications department at the National Wild Turkey Federation as a vice president, took the cause to Southwick Associates (www.southwickassociates.com). Southwick surveys anglers and hunters monthly to identify trends and understand retail sales and economic impacts.

Southwick agreed to include a list of questions regarding the sale of "pink" outdoor products in its September survey. After Sept. 1, please visit the Southwick website listed above and click on the Angler Survey link. The five or six "pink" questions will be offered as "optional" to respondents.

In the meantime, please post freely on our forums by clicking here to comment on pink! I will also post future updates on the survey and on Tammy's blogs regarding pink on our Female Anglers Forum.

Fishing the WMO

MarlinEdit — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:11:46 -0400

Well, I just got back from my first "captain's" job at the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, and I didn't win a dime. I did, however, have a blast fishing with the boys from StingRay Tackle, Ray Lorenzo and John Tobias, as well as mates Charles Perry and Walker Holcomb, Orazio Nastaze and Alan Seidel. We fished the brand-spanking-new 34-foot Jarrett Bay center console, and I really put her in some tough situations.

On the first day, after loading what seemed like a literal "ton" of gear onto the boat, I tried to keep up with the crew on Big Oh since they had caught five whites a couple of days before the tournament started. Once we cleared the inlet, however, we hit some pretty thick fog and I had to start navigating by the boat's radar, a first for this Florida boy. As a bonus, the seas were a confused two to three foot with virtually no period in between. But since I had to keep up with Big Oh, I had to make 25 miles per hour in that slop or risk losing them. Unfortunately, I forgot that the trim tabs had a switch on the main panel and I couldn't get them to work, so the boys in the back took a bit of a beating.

Big Oh didn't get a bite that first day and neither did we, so I decided to trust Mitch Roffer at Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecasts and fish the next day since the weather looked like it was going to be perfect.

We headed out from the inlet at 6:30 a.m., did about 40 mph in glass-calm seas (Charles Perry said, "I can't believe this," about 50 times) and wound up on the wall of the Wilmington Canyon, 72 miles later, at 8:15. It was a pretty ride and a gorgeous day all around.

After about two hours of trolling up and down the canyon wall, I got fed up with Walker's ballyhoo and decided to rig a couple of swimmers like the ones used in Costa Rica with the X of floss on the head and a small chin weight. After rigging three or four, I started to put one out on the left flat when Charles Perry yelled down that there was a white marlin trying to eat our mackerel on the right flat. As Walker slowly teased the white in on the mackerel, I slid over and put the swimming ballyhoo in the lane and called Tobias over to take the reel. Walker pulled the mackerel out of the water, and the marlin spun around and pounced on the ballyhoo. Tobias fed the fish for about three seconds, locked up the drag and came tight. We had our first fish on! I climbed the ladder and put the boat into a slight turn as the little white started jumping all over the place in the flat-calm water. Less than five minutes later, Walker got the leader and gently eased the fish up to the surface for a quick cutoff. The guys got to see that our circle-hooked Spanish mackerel did work as teasers for the whites and that the fish would make the switch from the swimming mackerel to a swimming ballyhoo.

It sure is great when a plan comes together. (See more in an upcoming issue.)

Fishing the WMO

OnTheFlats — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:09:50 -0400

It sure is great when a plan comes together. (See more in an upcoming issue.)

Blues are biting on the North Drop

MarlinEdit — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 10:57:28 -0400

Good news! I'm sure you'll all be glad to hear that the blue marlin are still busting it up on the North Drop down in St. Thomas. I just returned from a Marlin U session down there, and our two boats experienced some pretty good fishing - even on the dark of the moon. Local wisdom says that the best bite for blues occurs during the week prior to and after the full moon. But after eight years of planning Marlin U trips down to St. Thomas, I can say with certainty that you can get plenty of bites on the dark periods as well.

On our last trip ending July 28, our two boats got 17 blue marlin bites and caught seven. Not the best catch ratio in the world, but one boat was using lures and had some pretty bad luck on the hookups, and even pulled the hooks on a nice 500-pounder about two feet away from the mate's outstretched hand. That boat got more bites but just didn't connect as well as the boat using lures/dead-bait combos with much smaller hooks.

We had a pretty small class this session, and two of our five guys didn't catch one. However, one of our anglers, Simon Arnsby, caught his first blue marlin ever and then proceeded to catch three more for a total of four! You can see Arnsby fighting one of his fish in the photo gallery on this newsletter (he's the little fellow sitting in front of the waterfall).

You should notice a few different things about this issue of the Marlin newsletter; we've had a total redesign and added a conservation blog by senior editor Charlie Levine and a "Where's Peter" blog by the most traveled man in big-game fishing, our own Peter B. Wright. We also plan to run an ongoing photo contest in the very near future to allow you, our readers, an opportunity to post your most exciting billfish photos for chance to win great prizes. Please let us know how you like it. We are always looking for ways to serve you better.

Right now I'm preparing to head off to fish in the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, on board a new Jarrett Bay 34. This marks my first turn at the helm in a major billfish tournament, so I have to say I'm a little excited about the opportunity. Look for an article in an upcoming issue on this one! Wish me luck, fellas.

Big, Busy Weeks Ahead

MarlinEdit — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:21:10 -0400

I'm looking at the calendar on my office wall, and the upcoming weeks are chock-full of work, action and more work. I'm presently working on a schedule for our brand-spanking-new newsletter design and trying to get the 2010 feature schedule together for Marlin. At the same time, I leave for the St. Thomas leg of Marlin U tomorrow and come back two days before I head up to Ocean City, Maryland, to fish the White Marlin Open on the new Jarrett Bay 34 Center Console.

The good news is that they've been catching them pretty well in St. Thomas. Several boats have reported catching grander-class fish there this year, and the numbers have been up as well. We're fishing a couple of weeks before the Boy Scout Tournament, so we'll see quite a few of the best blue marlin fishermen in the world on "A" Dock at Red Hook's American Yacht Harbor.

This year we'll be fishing with two of the area's best-known charter operators, Red Bailey on Abigail III and Eddie Morrison on Marlin Prince. Marlin U always tries to work with the local charter fleet whenever possible, and these two fellows have always been reliable for our efforts in St. Thomas - and they catch them up pretty well too!

I'm off to the races. Look for our newly designed newsletter with Capt. Peter Wright's blog on August 4.

- DF

Sport Fishing Newsmaker Interview with NOAA Chief Lubchenco

TOP SHOT — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:35:39 -0400

More than any time I can recall, federal management of our coastal fisheries by the National Marine Fisheries Service (and fishery management councils) is sending waves of concern and controversy through the recreational-fishing community. Charged with oversight of NMFS and fishery management is the head of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In March, Jane Lubchenco was confirmed as President Obama's pick to head NOAA.

Who is Dr. Lubchenco? And what is her oversight of NMFS likely to mean for coastal sport fishermen around the country?

We wanted to find out - and Sport Fishing secured the very first interview with Jane Lubchenco on topics relevant to recreational fishing and its concerns.

That interview will be published in the September/October issue of Sport Fishing magazine; watch for it.

For now, I want to use this space to give visitors to this editors' blog a glimpse of just a few relevant and/or revealing comments from that interview, and particularly to consider Lubchenco's thoughts on catch shares (a new name for individual transferable quotas, wherein an entity or an individual buys a share of an overall harvest quota which can then be used or sold). I made the dominant focus of the interview catch shares -- two words causing great consternation in the recreational-fishing industry.

On fishing as a leisure activity: "I've greatly enjoyed catch-and-release fishing with friends and colleagues from bonefishing in Cuba to fishing for stripers in Maine. I understand and appreciate the strong attraction of recreational fishing."

On the economic importance of recreational fishing: " ... saltwater recreational fishing pumped $31 billion a year into the U.S. economy and supported half a million jobs. ... the challenge in all of this is to acknowledge that what we need to is protect jobs and grow new jobs ... but with an eye toward doing so in a way that's sustainable through time."

On federal fishery management serving recreational-fishing constituents: "I do think it's likely that NOAA has not given recreational fishing as much attention as is warranted. That's an impression, not grounded in data, but I think it's something that we should pay attention to."

On the issue of "flexibility" in managing recreational fisheries: "Its clear that many of our fisheries are in trouble and rebuilding them is going to bring great benefit. At present, we are bound to uphold the existing laws... ."

On catch shares (individual transferable quotas) as a means to manage recreational fisheries: Catch shares "are not a panacea ... but I am, indeed, enthusiastic about their potential."

"I do see some possibilities for catch shares being a useful tool for recreational fisheries, but I think we have to explore the pro and cons ... relative to, as you said, other innovative strategies."

" ... not all recreational fishing is the same. There may be opportunities for catch shares to be more appropriate for charter boats, for example. I think we have to look at this in a way that is sensitive to the different parts of the country and different parts of the recreational-fishing enterprise at large."

"I would just say that I'm open to a dialogue. I'm open to exploring new ways of working together [with the recreational-fishing community]."

When you read the entire interview in SF, you'll note that I spent the lion's share of time focusing on catch shares. Hanging over the head of many in our sport, like a Damocles sword, is the thought that the government (encouraged by some supposedly anti-fishing green groups) is going to "privatize" our public game-fish resources by forcing catch-share programs on us. So the issue is of the utmost relevance.

Will NMFS try to make catch shares a fundamental approach to managing recreational fisheries as it has done for many commercial fisheries? Of course, I don't know. As I noted when I spoke with Dr. Lubchenco, I have yet to see any plans that specify how catch shares could be applied to the sport side. Her comments to SF suggest, at least, that she wants her agency to work with the recreational side on such issues That would seem to imply we may not be forced to swallow any catch-share programs that would hurt rather than help an industry already in danger of flat-lining in some areas/fisheries (with red snapper but one example).

I certainly hope that go-slow approach to catch shares proves to be the case, and that in near-term actions regarding rec-fish management, NMFS is guided by Lubchenco's comment made here that she is "open to exploring new ways of working together."

I don't think we've ever needed that more than now, particularly because I believe that under Lubchenco, NOAA/NMFS has shown precious little interest in or outreach to a recreational-fishing community and industry already unhappy and suspicious after a widespread sense of neglect or apathy.

There are indications very recently that this NOAA/NMFS has finally begun to reach out and show it does value recreational fishing/fisheries and does intend to work cooperatively to manage our fisheries with (vs. against) us. Again, I certainly hope that proves to be the case. We shall see.

You can comment on Doug's blog in our forums here...

Fishing with Flip

FFSWEdit — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:40:29 -0400

Just returned from a three-day trip to Flamingo with none other than Flip Pallot. What a wonderful time. Met up with Flip here in central Florida and we drove south to Florida City the "back way" - down through the heart of the state.

Stopped for lunch along famed Lake Okeechobee, where Flip used to guide for bass and ducks during the Everglades' offseason many years ago. The area was close to a place called Buckhead Ridge, site of one of my first outdoors experiences in Florida 20 years ago with my brothers and dad and an old buddy of his named Sonny. It brought back some fond memories of that chilly December morning.

Back on the road, Flip and I called Lefty and chatted with him a while. Lefty was his usual self, full of life, and I couldn't help but think that these two guys (like so many others in the fly industry) are like favorite uncles, always wise and full of good advice.

Our first day on the water, we ran northwest from Flamingo and caught snook along the beaches bordering the Gulf. They'd hang close to shore, congregating around underwater structure such as downed trees. At times, the tapered, streamlined shapes of the snook were plainly visible over the light-sand bottom and made for great sport. On our second day, we ventured deep into the heart of the backcountry and found some baby tarpon that were more than eager to pounce on small flies thrown on 7-weights.

If you've never fished country like that in the Everglades, you must try it. It's a casting game that rewards accuracy and creativity. Placing a fly deep into the nooks and crannies of twisting mangroves is so much fun - and it really hones your skills. Use a weedguard. They're not only necessary, but they'll give you added confidence to drop the bug precisely where it needs to be.

Without a doubt, the most embarrassing moment of the trip was when I poled Flip smack dab into a bunch of mangroves as we approached some rolling babies. It was terrible - I wanted to shrivel up and die! I told an old-time fishing pal Juan Carvajal about this mishap and he howled with laughter - "You did WHAT!?!?" Some friend.

But I was very pleased with the way I fished, and was doubly happy, as I met a young guide in the area named Rich Smith who helped us with some spots. Rich seems to be one of the rising stars in the south Florida scene, and I look forward to hitting the water with him again.

Flip and I left Flamingo at 3 a.m. and enjoyed the dawn breaking over foggy pastures. We saw a "roadside grand slam" - turkey, hogs and deer - and enjoyed coffee and breakfast at an old Florida cowboy hangout. I can still taste those biscuits and gravy. And I can't wait to do it again.

Good fishing to you this July,

Mike Mazur

FFSW Editor

Travel to the Hottest Spots with Marlin

MarlinEdit — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:29:02 -0400

We are deep into compiling our August/September travel issue, and I'm pretty sure you are all going to like what we deliver. We've got Capt. George Sawley catching giant yellowfin tuna in Venezuela; Pat Ford pursuing blue marlin in Guatemala; Tony Peña covering the opening of a new lodge in Panama; several captains, mates and readers recounting their best/worst travel stories; and a sneak peek at Zane Grey's last published work, Tales of the Gladiator.

There's no better escape than to sit down with a good piece of literature and get carried away to a faraway place and time. And that's what we at Marlin strive to do in every single issue. Yes, we also want to inform and instruct, but our primary goal is to entertain, so we appreciate all the more you spending your precious recreational time with our magazine. Traveling to remote destinations on fantastic fishing trips is supposed to be fun and exciting. I hope our stories make you want to get up and go! Thanks again for your time and attention.

Time For a Little Good News!

TOP SHOT — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:34:33 -0400

And now for something entirely different: a little good news.

The recreational-fishing community has had its share of downbeat developments of late on many fronts, including fisheries-management challenges and restrictions, and slow sales of boats and motors. But if you think folks just aren't motivated to go fishing, think again.

While so many aspects of our lives seem to be heading a bit south of late, sales of fishing tackle and fishing licenses are holding steady overall and, in some cases, increasing, according to the American Sportfishing Association (www.asafishing.org).

"There are strong indications that angling remains one of the largest outdoor recreational activities in the nation as well as one of the most solid industries in the United States," says the ASA, citing 40 million anglers generating more than $45 billion in retails sales and creating employment for more than one million people.

For the first quarter of the year, state fishing-license sales were up 11 percent from last year, a trend that seemed to be continuing into the second quarter as well. In fact, says ASA president and CEO Mike Nussman, "These are the best numbers we've seen in several years," adding, "It's clear that people are going fishing and purchasing tackle."

Tom Mackin heartily agrees. He should, since his company - RapalaUSA (which includes Storm and Williamson brands among others) - enjoyed a double-digit increase in tackle sales over last year, through the first quarter.

The big daddy of domestic tackle conglomerates, Pure Fishing, is similarly upbeat based on strong sales. More families fishing, it says, account for much of that.

I hope this isn't lost on federal and state officials involved in managing our resources. For example, one fisherman's group has recently recommended managing grouper in the Gulf of Mexico strictly for recreational use. The billions and billions of dollars that recreational fishing generates should leave little doubt that the economic value of a single grouper, red snapper and so many other species in the recreational fishery has a value many times over what would be worth if targeted/harvested commercially.

And while we're on the topic of good news, as of June 1, a federal rule raises the daily catch limit of bluefin tuna for recreational fishermen from one to two fish. (Commercial fishermen are still allowed three.)

That is good news for anglers, but should not be taken to mean that Atlantic bluefin are not in serious trouble. They are (hey, the news can't be all good!). However, unlike some European and other nations that routinely exceed their catch quotas, the U.S. has not been achieving its allotted quota. That raises the possibility that ICCAT, the agency governing allocation of high-seas tuna stocks, could start giving away part of our quota to other nations meeting theirs.

While overall (especially in the eastern Atlantic), bluefin quotas remain too high (and perenially higher than ICCAT's own scientists recommend), it seems to me that if these fish are going to be caught anyway, they may as well be caught by us.

In any case, it appears despite -- or very possibly because of -- so much bad news, Americans in increasing numbers are going fishing. Whether you're after bluefin tuna or bluefish, go get 'em!

Pay to play for red snapper?

TOP SHOT — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:50:34 -0400

Managing red snapper recreationally by having anglers purchase a tag for each snapper he/she hopes to catch (within a total of allowable catch) - that's just nuts.

Or is it?

Recently an idea that the Coastal Conservation Association floated before the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council ended up floating itself right out into the public domain. The reaction, which has since died down a bit, was fast and furious.

That's understandable. On its face the idea is radical and seemingly counterintuitive to the idea of a public resource. Of course, as with most things (and new ideas), there's more to the story than meets the eye. But putting aside how the idea may not be as totally off-the-wall as at first blush it seems, in fact it's really a small part of a much bigger issue.

What CCA is apparently trying to do is not push any specific proposal into law but to start fishery managers thinking outside of the box.

Even those most immediately critical of the CCA proposal must agree that management of species like red snapper, gag grouper, fluke and others needs to be different, because our management regime to date sure ain't been working! If it were working, we wouldn't be facing massive closures and restrictions that now threaten a huge economic industry and, of course, threaten to put a big damper on the sport that so many of us pursue passionately.

And for that reason, I think the CCA should be more commended than condemned - that is, not for this proposal per se, but for trying to get top federal fisheries managers to start doing for recreational fisheries what its been doing for commercial fisheries.

What do I mean? Just this. While many of us will be cooling our props at the dock because more and more seasons are closed to protect stocks the feds say are overfished, our brethren on the commercial side will be heading out throughout the year to fish.

That's not because they're suddenly being given larger quotas. That's because they're suddenly being given new management strategies that work (and allocate) better.

Particularly that's the case with ITQs and the like (individual transferable quotas) that allocate a share of the resource (red snapper or whatever it may be) to those holding quota shares. Who gets the shares is another matter and while it's engendered some controversy, the fact remains that it has by and large been working. And by and large, the commercial fishing community and environmentalists actually agree (go figure that) that it's a better way.

That's not to say that ITQs are the answer for recreational fishing; they;'re not. Sport fishing is a very different situation from large commercial enterprises.

But it is to say that something has to be the answer since, again, what we're doing now is not the answer.

More to the point, I think, is that it's time for the government to step up to our plate as it's done for commercials and help! In fact, the National Marine Fisheries Service is making a big deal of the funds it's now directing to make commercial ITQs happen in many fisheries, notably at the moment in New England, where NOAA head Jane Lubchenco has pledged another $18.6 million at a meeting of fishery management councils. She sees it as a great opportunity to preserve "the industry."

Don't get me wrong. I'm delighted to see solutions that help achieve management goals. But, Dr. Lubchenco: There's another industry that needs preserving and needs NOAA's help - one which in many fisheries consumes a relatively small amount of the resource while providing a relatively large economic boost to regional economies: recreational fishing.

A longstanding criticism within the recreational-fishing community is that NOAA, within the Department of Commerce, was instituted to help develop commercial fishing and that orientation has never gone away. So far, I'd say we're seeing more evidence of that.

Coming back, then, to the CCA proposal, there are actually means by which something along those lines might be workable, but it's very complex, would ultimately need much work and would probably never actually occur in anything like that "first draft" that the Gulf Council saw. More importantly, keep in mind that a major goal of any such proposals is ultimately to bring stability and opportunity to long-suffering anglers.

So I'd urge all sport fishermen as well as the industry and groups associated with it to be a bit less quick to condemn new ideas and in fact to embrace the notion that new and innovative strategies must be proposed and considered with the assistance and resources from our fishery management officials in Washington - and hopefully soon. This sport and this industry need help.

To comment on Doug's Blog click here

Belizean Adventure

FFSWEdit — Mon, 18 May 2009 10:26:00 -0400

Returned to the States recently from Belize. Toured the coastal area from north to south. An awfully pretty country, but the wind was quite fierce for May. The last two days of the weeklong adventure were almost unfishable, as it howled a consistent 25 mph and gusted to 35.

Tough stuff. But still managed to get some good shots at permit, especially around the famed Permit Alley region outside Hopkins (with Jim Hybarger, proprietor of Permit Alley Anglers) and in the wildly beautiful southern region of the country at Machaca Hill Lodge.

There's nothing like seeing those black sickle tails bobbing up and down on the clear flats. But, as they so often do, the permit proved elusive for the most part. Managed to get some good bonefish action in the northern end of Belize, however. Fished El Pescador on Ambergris Caye and the famed Turneffe Flats Lodge on the Turneffe Atoll. Both are great old lodges that many fly-fishers have come to know well.

Some of the more memorable moments from the trip:

The Belikin Beer, which if you've never tried it, is reason enough to travel to Belize. Let's just say it's good.
An amusing chap named Wilfred, who - along with a fellow named Roberto - guided us out of Machaca. They've known each other for years, and Wilfred has become a master at throwing his buddy under the bus anytime something doesn't work out. The permit didn't eat? "Roberto's fault." The sun started hiding behind the clouds. "Roberto, why did you do that!" Roberto (who was a lot bigger than Wilfred, by the way) was a good sport about it!
Eating conch in garlic butter at Elvi's Kitchen on Ambergris. Elvi can certainly cook.
Listening to howler monkeys while canoeing down the glassy smooth Rio Grande at Machaca and tossing streamers for snook. If you've never heard one, howlers sound downright frightening. But the lodge at Machaca is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful I've ever stayed.
Stalking bones by foot just outside the lodge at Turneffe - the sun was going down in the west while the soft light of a rising full moon was shining down over the Caribbean. The bones tailed happily in mere inches of water along a jagged rock outcropping. I won't soon forget it.

But one of the most interesting moments of the trip came not on the water, but during a drive south from Hopkins to Punta Gorda.

We were being escorted from Almond Beach Resort to Machaca by a fellow named Bruno Kuppinger. Bruno operates an excellent ecotourism business west of Punta Gorda (Sun Creek Lodge) and regularly takes folks on rugged camping adventures through the mountains of Belize. He's a very capable dude (and a very nice guy, to boot), and he showed up in a tough, old Land Rover that looked like it could run most cars over on the road. I knew it would be a fun ride south.

Well, you guessed it, we broke down. Luckily, we managed to get to a small mechanic shop full of tractors, planes and buses on the premise of a local orange grove. I thought for sure the day was shot. But I underestimated the good-heartedness of the Belizean people. They took the time to look over the Rover carefully and figured out the problem (something to do with the oil pressure not building up). Within an hour, we were back up and running - for $20 (which included a healthy tip, by the way). Try getting that kind of service in America.

Click HERE for some of the sights traveling through Belize.

Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor

Public Comments Wrap Up on 'Glades

FFSWEdit — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:12:50 -0400

Made the trip down to IGFA headquarters in Fort Lauderdale last week for the final public-comment meeting related to the new general management plan (GMP) for Everglades National Park.

As expected, a wide range of opinions were spouted on which direction the park should take. Some argued for no change (Alternative 1) to current park policies and direction. A couple environmentalists, meanwhile, argued in favor of Alternative 4, which would close off huge areas of Florida Bay to boaters.

Many offered sound, reasoned solutions, however, and it became apparent that some consensus is building. My guess is that the park's "preferred alternative" - which will be announced this fall - will incorporate elements of several of the alternatives.

About 150 to 200 folks were in attendance in Lauderdale. The great majority were anglers, which, hopefully, was noticed by park officials. There's no question that anglers are among the top supporters of local economies associated with the park.

What's more, anglers are among the most genuine in their concern over the health of the park. And that's precisely why most are primarily concerned with the problems of water quality and water quantity entering the ENP.

Park officials say they are addressing these issues, but it can't be emphasized enough - this is the biggest problem in the Everglades, more so than the cosmetic irregularities caused by prop scars to sea grass beds.

But this meeting revolved around reducing prop scarring, and many who spoke said they could accept elements of Alternatives 2 and 3 to help reduce this - but they felt it was important to recognize and label the bulk of existing channels throughout Florida Bay that currently are not labeled on Alternatives 2 and 3.

A number of other key points and ideas were echoed throughout the evening. Here were some of them:

* Focus on marking the channels better in Florida Bay, particularly in areas where prop scars are occurring.
* Provide more law enforcement on the water.
* Abandon the proposed Alternate Wilderness Waterway along the Gulf Coast - even paddlers admitted they don't need (or want) it.
* Require education-based permits for ENP users.
* Limit poll-and-troll areas to 1/2 to 1 mile (any longer can become detrimental in windy or other harsh conditions).

Park officials would be wise to have listened to the many anglers that spoke. These folks know the park inside and out and understand the intricacies inherent to specific locations, flats and channels. To read the NPS report highlighting all four alternatives with maps that detail each option, click here . A public-comment period remains open until May 15. To comment, click here.

Tight lines,

Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor

Law Would Intentionally Wipe Out Striped Bass

TOP SHOT — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:48:42 -0400

This is not a joke - but you can (and should) help stop it!

Even fishermen who live on the East Coast are likely aware that for the second year in a row, California's salmon fishery is moribund. One of the main and longstanding reasons for decimation of many of the state's wild-salmon runs - including those historically with the greatest numbers of fish, from the mighty Sacramento River - is water diversion.

Powerful agribusiness interests have for years persuaded state and federal officials to allow the export of massive quantities of fresh water to huge corporate farms. Even after its own scientists warned the Bush Administration that water diversion would leave great numbers of threatened salmon runs dying in low, warm water, the Administration disregarded the advice and gave its thirsty (and powerful) pals in the big-farm biz the diverted water they wanted. Later that year, guess what? Great numbers of threatened salmon runs died in water far too low and warm for spawning success.

Now, as if intending to prove the bounds of their greed are truly without limit or shame, the same agricultural interests have, via a state assemblywoman by the name of Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), come up with a bizarre scheme to divert attention from diverted water.

Turns out, it's not years of depriving wild salmon stocks of critical water for spawning and juvenile growth that are to blame for decimation of the species. The real problem? Striped bass that live in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are eating all the salmon.

Accordingly, Fuller has introduced a wacky but dangerous bill into the State Assembly that would end management of stripers and allow unlimited harvest of one of the state's great and valued game fish.

Ms. Fuller's sudden concern for wild salmon is laudable. It's too bad she couldn't revise her bill to force greedy agribusinesses and the politicians they own to share some of the water they take from the public domain - the Sacramento River - with the salmon she loves so much.

You don't have to be a Californian to be outraged at this reprehensible display of avarice. And you don't have to be a Californian to let your voice be heard. In fact, California lawmakers should hear from all of us and realize that Fuller's bill is so egregiously misguided that it has opponents chiming in from around the U.S. That's the kind of message that we should be sending.

The State Assembly's Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife will hear this bill on April 28th. Time is of the essence; if state lawmakers don't hear from anglers, this disastrous bill will pass.

Fortunately, you can register your opposition to Fuller's bill in mere seconds, by going to www.saveourstripers.org where you can read and sign onto a letter (separately, as an individual, business or NGO) instantly. When you have done that, send the link to a friend -- or a few. You may also want to visit a web site of folks who, unlike Fuller, are genuinely concerned with saving salmon and not veggies: www.restorethedelta.org.

If we don't act, and Fuller has her way, California is likely to end up with neither salmon nor striped bass - but plenty of cotton and artichokes.

Comment on Doug's Blog here

Finding the Bite in Costa Rica

MarlinEdit — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:01:39 -0400

We just completed another Marlin University down in Costa Rica, and although the fishing proved a bit better than our last trip, we seemed to hit Carrillo in between bites again. We spent our first two fishing days in some real pretty, clear blue water, with temperatures in the low 80s and rips and currents galore. Everything looked perfect, but we couldn't find any bait. Usually, boats here find baits schools down deep with their sounders and work the immediate area until predators drive them to the surface. Unfortunately, during our last two trips, the scarcity of bait meant few bites for our clients.

Things started looking up over the last two days, however, with two of our boats getting 10 shots at billfish, some stripes and mostly sails. However, one of the boat's caught a 400-pound blue on 30-pound during the week, and since it marked the angler's first blue marlin, it was quite a thrill for everyone on board.

We had a huge class this time -- 20 anglers and three guests - so the pressure was on to get everyone a fish. Although we didn't reach that goal, we did get quite a few people their first billfish release, and that gives us great excitement. Cherilyn Deary got the trip as a Christmas present from her husband after she handed him a copy of Marlin magazine and hinted that she wanted to go someday. I'm sure glad he took the hint.

I got to fish with the Dearys on our third day, and Cherilyn still hadn't caught one. As I went through our hookup drill, she told me she was having a great time and what a dream come true the trip was turning out to be, which really got me fired up to catch her one.

After about 20 minutes, a fish came up on the right short of Cherilyn's rod, and she quickly jumped to the rod and got in the ready position. As the fish came in to attack the teaser again and again, she kept her eyes on the bait as instructed. As soon as the teaser left the water, the fish spun around in a perfect switch and ate her bait going away. She fed the fish perfectly, pushed the drag up to strike and started winding. As soon as the fish started pulling drag, I told her to lift the tip a little, and she was on! The fish left the water right off the transom after it felt the pull, giving Cherilyn quite a show. As she squealed in excitement, I couldn't help but let out a whoop or two myself.

After seeing countless sailfish and marlin brought alongside for a release, sometimes you forget just how special this experience is for most folks. I'd like to thank Cherilyn, and all of our less experienced Marlin U students, for reminding me how lucky I am to get to enjoy the sport of billfishing and for letting me share in the joy of their first billfish capture and release. It's an honor I do not take lightly. - Dave Ferrell

Shark Lover?

TOP SHOT — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:38:20 -0400

Recent news reports have showed 13-year-old angler Aidan Medley proudly standing next to a 340-pound bull shark, hanging dead on a dock scale at Sailfish ************************ in Palm Beach, Florida. He cranked the fish in himself, noting to reporters that many anglers lack the skill to do what he did.

(http://www.wptv.com/news/local/story...w.cspx?rss=762)

And he did it last year with a 550-pound bull. And a 461 the year before.

Next in the angler's sights: hammerheads. Presumably we'll be seeing more shots of young Aidan posing proudly next to large, dead hammerheads.

What motivates this young man? According to comments made to the press, he (1) likes doing it and mounts his prizes for display on his wall, and (2) "he's fascinated by the ocean and wants to be a marine biologist" (WPTV.com).

Given that information, I'd like to hear what visitors to this blog think about this young angler's news-making big-shark weigh-ins. Right or wrong and why? Or put another way, what message would YOU like to send to young Aidan?

Comment in our Forums:
http://forums.sportfishingmag.com/sh...506#post379506

'Glades Debate Reaching Critical Mass

FFSWEdit — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:30:03 -0400

In the ongoing development of a new general management plan (GMP) for Everglades National Park, administrators have opened up another public-comment period encompassing the park's revised management alternatives through May 15. A host of public meetings also have been scheduled for later this month and into April.

This marks anglers' last chance to make their voices known, as a "preferred alternative" will be selected this fall, pending the outcome of these meetings and comments. So comment - and attend!

As it stands, four alternatives are being proposed as the potential backbone of this new GMP. These alternatives have been revised significantly since first introduced two years ago, but the options still basically range from a do-nothing approach to a fairly radical plan hinging on resources conservation that would prohibit boating throughout wide swaths of Florida Bay.

Most agree that changes need to be made on how anglers and others use the park. Most agree that boater education must be enacted and enforced to operate in the park. But there are still questions that demand answers among many of the alternatives, and there is still some debate among anglers as to which specific approach would be best.

If you enjoy fishing in the Everglades, get in the game now - study up on these alternatives, comment through the ENP's website and attend at least one of the upcoming meetings. Decisions made in the coming months will determine how fly anglers can use one of the world's great light-tackle fisheries for decades to come.

To read a report highlighting all the alternatives with maps that detail each option, click here.

To comment on these alternatives, click here.

The upcoming public-comment meetings are scheduled as follows. Attend one!

* Monday, March 30: Key Largo Grande Hotel; 97000 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Fla. 305-852-5553

* Tuesday, March 31: Everglades City School; 415 School Drive, Everglades City, Fla. 239-377-9800

* Wednesday, April 1: South Dade Public Library; 10750 SW 211th Street, Miami, Fla. 305-233-8140

* Monday, April 13: Key Largo Holiday Inn; 99701 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, Fla. 305-451-2121

* Tuesday, April 14: John D. Campbell Agricultural Center; 18710 SW 288th Street, Homestead, Fla. 305-248-3311

* Wednesday, April 15: Edison State College, Building J; 7007 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, Fla. 239-732-3707

* Thursday, April 16: International Gamefish Fish Association (IGFA) Fishing Hall of Fame, 300 Gulfstream Way, Dania Beach, Fla. 954-922-4212

Fish hard,

Mike Mazur
FFSW Editor

The Streak Ends

MarlinEdit — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:12:43 -0400

Sometimes the end of a streak is a good thing. I recently (just last night, actually) ended an incredibly unlucky patch of bass fishing. For some unknown reason, about a month ago I just plain forgot how to catch a bass.

As big, hungry black bass devoured everything that my buddies threw in their path during the pre- and post-spawn springtime feeding frenzies, I couldn't get a bite. And when I did, the fish always ended up pulling some miracle Houdini move, leaving me pinned to a lily pad or spitting the plug back at me with one fin raised in the air...and he wasn't waving "Hi."

Even my old faithful chug bug chugged along without a sniff. Although, a couple of lunkers seemed to use it as a pummel horse in some strange piscatorial Olympics, vaulting completely over the lure, pausing right over the top, before gracefully entering the water on the other side with nary a ripple and never touching the lure. A sure 10 - even from the Russian judge, and just enough enticement to keep me flailing away at the water for another eight hours straight with no more "bites."

Even after hearing one of my friends rail on about yet another "killer bite last night," I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong and that I was just having an unlucky streak. It happens to everyone, even in the salt.

You can feed bait to a sailfish a hundred times in row and hook every one, then turn around and miss the next 20 doing the exact same thing. I know -- I've seen it happen. I spent a very interesting day in Venezuela watching a group of very distinguished and accomplished tournament anglers miss 15 white marlin bites in a row. And since the captain felt the need to hurl down a few words of "encouragement" every time they missed one, I thought the right side of my face was going to melt off by lunchtime.

So the next time you find yourself in a fishing slump, just keep your head down and concentrate on having a good time; the fish will come if you keep at it.