BOATU.S. FOUNDATION LIFE JACKET LOANER PROGRAM NEEDS HELP TO ADD LOCATIONS

By FishFever at Tue, 2008-03-25 08:57 | | Virginia Fishing News

BOATU.S. FOUNDATION LIFE JACKET LOANER PROGRAM NEEDS HELP TO ADD LOCATIONS

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - The nation's only program that lends kid-sized life jackets for free to boaters or anglers is looking to grow. The BoatU.S Foundation's Life Jacket Loaner Program, which offers infant, toddler and children's life jackets at over 350 nationwide locations has launched a campaign to raise $50,000 in additional funds to meet increasing demand by establishing new loaner locations at marinas, boat ramps, waterside resorts, boat clubs, bait shops, towboats, fire houses and other public facilities. The life jackets are typically loaned out for a day or weekend.

Tautog Draft Addendum IV Hearings Schedule

By admin at Thu, 2006-11-09 12:24 | | Connecticut Fishing News | Delaware Fishing News | Massachusetts Fishing News | New Jersey Fishing News | New York Fishing News | Rhode Island Fishing News | Virginia Fishing News

States from Massachusetts through Virginia have scheduled their hearings to gather public comment on Draft Addendum IV to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Tautog.  The dates, times and locations of the scheduled meetings follow:

Virginia Angler Wins a New Nitro Boat in Maryland's Million Dollar Fishing Challenge

By admin at Tue, 2006-09-19 08:43 | | Virginia Fishing News

Hanover, Maryland - Aimee Carlton was in the crowd, standing in for her boyfriend who was off fishing in a Virginia bass tournament. Little did she know her number was to be selected for one of the Grand Prizes in the Maryland Million Dollar Fishing Challenge…

On Saturday, September 16, nearly 140 anglers and their families joined Governor Robert Ehrlich, Hall-Of-Fame Oriole 'Boog' Powell, Master of Ceremonies Keith Mills and Outdoor Writer Bill Burton and DNR's top officials at the Annapolis City Dock for the Grand Finale of the Department of Natural Resources 'Maryland Million Dollar Fishing Challenge, The Return of Diamond Jim'.

The anglers, who were lucky enough to land one (or more) of nearly 2000 tagged fresh and saltwater fish over the 13-week contest, withstood the light drizzle for their random chance to win one of four grand prizes or a shot to win one million dollars.

During the contest, which began June 2nd and ended on Labor Day, the big reward was 'Diamond Jim', a striped bass or 'rockfish' as it's known in Maryland worth $25,000. A weekly 'Diamond Jim' was released throughout the Chesapeake region each week (for thirteen weeks) and that released fish was only eligible to win the 25K during that particular week. Two tagged 'Diamond Jim' rockfish were caught during the quest. Unfortunately, they were landed outside the time frame needed to win the 25-grand. But, they were still eligible to win one of the other prizes.

During the finale, a prize wheel was constructed with the numbers of all the eligible anglers. Five tackle boxes were set up on stage with the keys to two boat and two trucks and a chance at the one million dollar prize. The wheel was spun by Governor Ehrlich, Boog Powell and the Sponsors' representatives.

First up was Jim Anderson, from Elkton, Maryland, who selected the first tackle box. Inside was a dollar that meant he had the shot at one-million dollars. He was to select a number between 1 and 65. He picked 54. The winning number, sealed in an envelope was 62. Jim walked away with a consolation prize valued at $4,000.

Frank Hendricks from Monkton, Maryland opened his tackle box and found a set of Toyota keys inside. He selected the red top-of-the-line Tacoma pickup truck (one of two) supplied by Toyota of Maryland.

The next contestant was Roy Haller from LaVale, Maryland. He won a 20-foot center console 'Sailfish' boat, motor and trailer donated by Boater's World, who also sponsored the $1M by underwriting the insurance policy.

Quinton Mitchell from Baltimore was about as excited as anyone when he found a set of keys to a silver Toyota Tacoma inside his tackle box.

Finally, Aimee Carlton of Herndon, Virginia was sitting in for her boyfriend, John Hutchins of Broad Run, Virginia, who was off fishing in a bass tournament. Since the chance for a million, the two pickups and the center-console boat had already been awarded, she knew she had just won a new 591 Nitro bass boat, 135 HP Mercury and a trailer. Paul Lash, Sales Manger of Tracker Marine at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World-Baltimore was just as excited for her. Aimee took the large poster that was displayed with the Nitro while it was on display at Arundel Mills, with her back to Virginia and presented it to John at the end of the bass tournament.

For more information visit www.dnr.state.md.us/fish4cash/

Largemouths Stocked In West Virginia’s Woodrum Lake

By admin at Thu, 2006-08-24 11:24 | | Virginia Fishing News

West Virginia’s Division of Natural Resources recently stocked more than 5,000 largemouth bass fingerlings into Woodrum Lake, a body of water that was drained in 2005.

According to Bret Preston, Assistant Chief of the Wildlife Resources Section. The stocked bass ranged in size from 2 to 6 inches. The Jackson County lake was drained in last year after one of its lower gates were damaged during a routine inspection.

National Conservation Groups Call for Dam Removal in the Northwest

By admin at Wed, 2006-08-23 11:01 | General Fishing News | Virginia Fishing News

Alexandria, Virginia - The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and eleven other conservation and recreational angling groups launched an effort to decommission and remove four dams on the Klamath River in the northwest United States. For the first time in 50 years, the opportunity exists to restore the ocean going salmon populations that are now in a state of collapse while also restoring more than 300 miles of the Klamath River. The dams prevent salmon such as Chinook and Coho from reaching their spawning grounds.

This initiative was sparked by the application filed by the dams' owner, PacifiCorp, an electric company, for renewal of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission permits for the dams. The last time the permits were renewed occurred long before most environmental laws were enacted.

"Opportunities to dramatically reverse the decline of an important fishery are rare and we, together with the other conservation and angling groups that have joined with us, feel that it is essential we do everything we can to tell the nation about this critical issue," stated Gordon Robertson, ASA's vice president. Robertson further said, "Environmental protection is now a central tenet of American public policy. In order to meet the requirements of the law, extensive mitigation measures at the dams will be required as a condition of license renewal. Accomplishing modifications of these dams will require a substantial commitment of resources, and yet will not restore the free run of the river that would provide the greatest benefit to the resource."

Letters to Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. which owns the controlling interest in PacifiCorp, state and federal government leaders and Member of Congress ask for a settlement that would both restore the river and fairly compensate PacifiCorp and its ratepayers.

Although other water use is a contributing factor, the dams on the Klamath are the leading cause of the collapse of the salmon populations in what was once the third most productive salmon producing river in the American West. The Klamath Coho salmon is listed as threatened and the Klamath Chinook salmon has been severely restricted. These restrictions resulted in the Department of Commerce declaring a Commercial Fishery Failure for 2006 in California and Oregon.

Along with ASA, the groups supporting the effort are: the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, the American Fisheries Society, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Berkley Conservation Institute, the Coastal Conservation Association, the Federation of Fly Fishers, the International Game Fish Association, the Izaak Walton League, the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

The American Sportfishing Association is the sportfishing industry's trade association, uniting more than 650 members of the sportfishing and boating industries with state fish and wildlife agencies, federal land and water management agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups, and outdoor journalists. The American Sportfishing Association safeguards and promotes the enduring social, economic, and conservation values of sportfishing.

EXOTIC ZEBRA MUSSELS THREATEN NATIVE WILDLIFE

By admin at Thu, 2006-07-27 23:57 | | Virginia Fishing News

Richmond, VA - The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries confirmed today that exotic zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) have been found in an inactive quarry in Prince William County in northern Virginia. While it is not known how the mussels were transported to the quarry, the area is a popular underwater diving spot. It is possible that animals were carried in unintentionally via diving gear previously used in infested waters elsewhere in the United States. The Department is currently surveying other likely sites and examining its options for eradication of the mussels.