From: Bassfan.com

Story By: Todd Ceisner

Kudos to the Bluegrass State for its plans to add fishing to the list of sanctioned high school sports in Kentucky for the 2012-13 school year.

“We’re not going to be afraid of trying something new around here,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett in the January edition of High School Today, the monthly newsletter of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSHSA). “I hope [nobody’s] thinking that this is just going to be more of the same. No way. We’re going to try some new things; it’s going to take people outside their comfort zone. But that’s OK, because we’re going to do what the kids need.”

A couple weeks ago, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced that 231 high schools signed up to participate in its statewide tournament. Currently, Illinois is the only state that conducts such an event at the high school level.

All of this got me to thinking that my native New York needs to get behind this movement sooner rather than later, as do a lot of states. New York is blessed with a number of reputable bass lakes (Erie, Oneida, Champlain, anyone?) and the fall would be the ideal time for a little competition in my corner of the world. With minimal costs to school districts, this might be one of the best ways to get more young people involved in the sport.

During a recent NC B.A.S.S. Federation Nation annual meeting members of the NC Wildlife Resource Commission reported on the current largemouth bass status in the coastal regions of North Carolina. These areas were hit hard by hurricane Irene in 2011 resulting in massive fish kills. Kevin Dockendorf, Coastal Research Coordinator, provided a detailed presentation that covered post hurricane Isabel (2003) findings, including research data from a massive restocking effort in 2004, with additional detailed information from studies conducted in the years following, continuing through hurricane Irene. To see the slideshow (PDF File) used during the presentation click below.

View Presentation

Coastal Game Fish Proposal Before Special Legislative Study Committee

The 2011 North Carolina General Assembly deferred action on the Coastal Game Fish Bill (HB 353) that would have designated speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass as coastal game fish.  Coastal game fish status would mean that these three fish could be taken only with hook and line and could not be sold. These fish are already game fish in inland waters where they occur but when they venture into joint or coastal waters, they are subject to commercial net fishing under liberal rules designed to maximize catch for sale, which has led to overfishing and depleted numbers.  Sport fishermen protested vigorously over the failure to act, which led the General Assembly to set up a special study committee to review the case for coastal game fish status and several other issues related to management of our marine fisheries.
The issues being considered by the Marine Fisheries Study Committee can be found at this link under the Marine Fisheries section.  The main issue about which NC Camo is alerting members is the proposal to create coastal game fish status for red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass; but, you may be interested in the others too. The findings and recommendations of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee will be reported to the General Assembly this Spring for action in their Budget Session.
Red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass account for only 3% of annual commercial finfish landings in NC by weight and account for only 2% of the dockside value to commercial fishermen.  In 2010, only 250 commercial fishermen had more than $2,000 in landings of these three species, separately or in combination, and less than 30 had landings that equaled or exceeded $10,000.  These figures as collected and presented by the Division of Marine Fisheries show that red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass are relatively minor components of the commercial harvest in NC by weight and by value to the commercial fisherman.
Conversely, figures from the Division of Marine Fisheries on the value of recreational fishery for these three species show the annual value to NC’s economy to be over $140,000,000.  This value comes from expenditures of recreational fishermen as they buy fishing equipment and supplies, travel to favorite fishing spots on the coast, and support thousands of small businesses and jobs in the process.  Sales of Coastal Recreational Fishing Licenses show that well over 1 million people fish in our coastal waters each year.  Recreational fishing is big business for NC and can be even bigger.  The great thing about this source of growth in our economy is that no capital investment is required and it is truly “green” growth.  All we have to do is protect our fisheries resources and allocate them to their highest and best use for the people of NC.
The first meeting of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee was held on January 5, 2012 and was attended by dozens of recreational and commercial fishermen.  The agenda was mostly introductory for the committee members and no discussion with real substance occurred.  The next meeting is scheduled for February 2, 2011 at 1 pm in the Auditorium of the General Assembly, 116 West Jones Street.  The agenda for this next meeting is designed to give sport and commercial fishermen the opportunity to voice their concerns and ideas to the Marine Fisheries Study Committee on the issue of coastal game fish status for red drum, speckled sea trout, and striped bass and the other topics before the Committee.
NC Camo encourages all recreational fishermen who can to attend and speak in favor of game fish status for speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass.  The case for conservation of these three fish via coastal game fish designation is given in the NC Wildlife Federation’s Fall Journal and can be read at this link beginning on page 2.

Interested sportsmen can catch up with the history of the coastal game fish proposal and keep up with new developments on the North Carolina Sportsman Magazine website at this link.  Also, a hot link to the e-mail addresses of every member of the Marine Fisheries Study Committee is included.  Use them to contact the members to let them know you favor game fish status for speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass.
Finally, NC Camo has prepared a Take Action message you can send to your elected State Representative and Senator as a part of this alert.  Read it over and if you agree that speckled sea trout, red drum, and striped bass need and deserve coastal game fish status, send it out with a click of your mouse.

NC Camo Coalition is a project of the NC Wildlife Federation.

Area boat & tackle shows help to get you back in the groove.

It’s almost that time again! Time to hit the water and start stretching line and bending rods. For those living in the deep southern states some of the best fishing of the year is nearing. For the rest of us farther north, we are biting our nails awaiting our start to the season. But, don’t let the calendar keep you from your preparations. Use this down time to get your mind back in shape and add to your collection of lures in the process.

There are many area boat and tackle shows taking place during this time of the year. Most shows will include various seminars by touring pros and local guides to intrigue even the most veteran of anglers. This is where the “Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks” and where the beginning angler can have a “Kid In A Candy Store” opportunity. Use these shows to your advantage to gain knowledge and skills with a golden opportunity to gather this info from some of the best in the business on a face-to-face platform.

Interested in lures and other tackle items? No problem. There are tons of resources gathered together in one location during these shows for you to browse and research. Even if you don’t actually purchase any items from the show it may give you a better idea of what is available for when the timing is right for purchasing. In fact, most vendors will tell you that any sales that they make during such shows are a bonus. The intent of the show is to make you aware of their products and services and hopefully interest you in becoming a future customer. This is also a good time for merchants to unload some older products allowing them to free up needed space for newer items. So, be sure to check bargain bins for some special buys.

Check out the latest technology among a variety of topics. The vendors at these shows will typically have the most current products on display for your viewing. Brochures and other product knowledge materials will help you to better understand the subject of your interest. But, please be conscious of your actions. Brochures and other informative materials may be free to anyone visiting a booth, but someone has to fork the bill for such items. So be courteous to the vendor and only take these reading materials if you are truly interested.

Ask questions! Here’s your chance to get answers straight from the source. Some vendors may have pro-staff members on site to help you with your questions. These individuals are a good source of information, as they are allowed the opportunity to use the vendor’s products throughout the year and provide feedback for enhancements and future products.

Don’t let the shiny lures take your complete attention. Save a little of your time for devoting to maintenance products for your boat, motor, and gear. Look for items that may help you keep that “Like-New” look on your boat, or help to fight the harmful effects of ethanol in your engine. It’s easy to get caught up in the fun part of the show and overlook some useful information that may keep you on the water longer.

In short, boat & tackle shows are not only a means to help you scratch that itch to go fish, but it may also help you to better prepare for the upcoming season. Look for one coming to your area.

New Efforts to Ban Lead in Fishing Tackle Demonstrate the Need for a Legislative Solution

Source: www.keepamericafishing.org

Last November, 43,000 anglers like you helped to defeat an attempt to ban lead in fishing tackle nationwide when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied a petition to ban lead in fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Despite the EPA’s ruling, this issue is not yet fully resolved. The petitioners have filed a law suit against the EPA’s decision and submitted a similar new petition to the agency that could still result in a ban on lead fishing tackle nationwide.

KeepAmericaFishing™ is once again asking anglers to oppose this unjustified petition and to rally behind legislation that will put an end to these unwarranted attacks on recreational fishing once and for all.

The Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act (S. 838/H.R. 1558) will prevent a federal ban on lead in recreational fishing tackle and help to ensure that any future regulations on fishing tackle are established based on scientific fact instead of unjustified petitions.

With anti-fishing organizations trying to stop fishing using whatever means they can, the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act is necessary to protect traditional fishing tackle, as well as ammunition, from unjustified bans that will harm the economy and reduce participation in traditional outdoor sports

Take Action Now!

To prevent the EPA from accepting this unwarranted petition and to assure passage of this important legislation, it’s critical that you send a loud and clear message to the EPA and your Members of Congress requesting their support of this effort.

For more information on why such a ban is unwarranted,visit the KeepAmericaFishing lead fishing tackle issue page.

Historic ‘mercury and air toxics standards’ meet 20-year old requirement to cut dangerous smokestack emissions

Actions by the Environmental Protection Agency to set emission standards for power plants to reduce mercury and other toxic pollutants will result in healthier lakes, streams and fish.

EPA estimates that “the new safeguards will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks a year. The standards will also help America’s children grow up healthier – preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about 6,300 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year.”
Mercury and other power plant emissions damage our environment. These compounds pollute our nation’s lakes and streams poisoning fish and the people and animals that rely on them for food. Other power plant emissions such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) can react in the atmosphere to form a haze of fine particle pollution and smog that reduces visibility in our nation’s scenic vistas and treasured national parks, and damages sensitive natural ecosystems.

The final Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) will significantly reduce power plant mercury emissions. The equipment used to comply with MATS will also reduce emissions of SO2 and directly emitted fine particle pollution.

Emissions of SO2 from power plants can react in the environment to form weak acids that fall to earth as rain, fog, snow, or dry particles. They can cause lakes and streams to become acidic and unsuitable for many fish, damage forests, and cause deterioration of cars, buildings, and historical monuments. Sulfur deposition may also increase the rate of mercury methylation and the impact of mercury poisoning on fish and wildlife.

Once mercury from the air reaches water, microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish. As larger fish eat many smaller fish, mercury concentrations increase in their body tissues. Mercury contamination affects populations of numerous fish species – trout, bass, salmon and others. Waterfowl and mammals that eat fish, including loons and otters, and songbirds, bats, and amphibians that feed on insects can be exposed to high levels of mercury. Birds and animals suffering from mercury exposure behave differently and have less reproductive success. Over time, these new emission standards will help reduce the levels of mercury in fish.

Sportsmen and women played a major role in calling for these changes in the way we treat the environment. Clean air and water are the basis for the quality of life we enjoy and strive to preserve for our descendants.

Thank you for your support.

NC Camo Coalition is a project of the NC Wildlife Federation.

Happy Holidays

Check out the newly updated web site for Outdoor Accessories Unlimited. Outdoor Accessories Unlimited carries a large selection of fresh and saltwater fishing products, as well as, a selection of items for your hunting needs. Located on Hwy 222 in Kenly NC, Outdoor Accessories Unlimited has been serving local anglers and hunters for over 20 years. As an outdoor enthusiast himself, owner Ed Collier has the knowledge needed to help you with your hunting and fishing needs. Browse the web site, loaded with a large showing of available items and continue to check back for updates and newly featured products. Or if you prefer, simply stop in and browse around the store.

• Outdoor Accessories Unlimited
• www.outdooracc.com
• Kenly, NC
• 919-284-1164

If you put E-15 in your boat, beware the consequences

By: Frank Sargeant, B.A.S.S. Times

Dec 14, 2011

FOND DU LAC, Wis. — Understand upfront that proponents of E-15 gasoline, containing up to 15 percent ethanol, are not pitching the fuel as suitable for marine engines. In fact, it is a violation of federal law to use it for that purpose.

But E-15 is probably coming soon to a pump near you. Suppose you have a brain infarction and fill your boat with the stuff, which is just the push of a button away.

Not a good thing, based on tests concluded in June by Mercury Marine for the U.S. Department of Energy. Two of three outboards run on E-15 in Merc’s standard 300-hour, full-throttle endurance test failed to complete the run and showed severe internal damage, according to David Hilbert, thermodynamic development engineer for Mercury.

A 300-horsepower Verado experienced three damaged exhaust valves near the end of the E-15 run. Hilbert said the damage likely was caused by operating temperatures considerably higher than those recorded in a similar engine run in the same test on ethanol-free gasoline.

And a 200-horse 2.5 EFI 2-stroke in the test had to be shut down after 256 hours because of bearing failure. Hilbert said more testing would be required to determine if ethanol in the fuel caused a reduction in effective lubrication and brought on the failure, but an identical engine run on standard gasoline had no similar issues throughout the 300-hour run.

Martin Peters at Yamaha agreed that E-15 must not be used in any of the company’s outboards, but he reiterates that E-10 is fine for all late-model motors.

“Accidental one-time use of E-15 will not void your Yamaha warranty,” said Peters. “But for sure, it’s not a fuel you would ever put in your boat on purpose.”

Bottom line is that, while E-10 is acceptable as a fuel for all modern outboards, E-15 is not.

Note that the tests involved fresh fuel used immediately. They did not take into account the issues ethanol causes when it sits for weeks or months in a fuel tank and absorbs condensed water. Nor did they consider the accumulation of dissolved solids that might clog a fuel system.

In fact, the best gasoline for your outboard has no ethanol, and some states still allow service stations to stock straight gasoline. In Alabama, for example, gas stations advertising ethanol-free gasoline generate long lines of bass anglers on weekends.

Floridais considering a rule that would allow service stations to sell gasoline without ethanol, thus letting market demand control the amount of ethanol drivers choose to use. The state’s Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee recently voted 10-1 to approve SB 238,which would end the ethanol requirement that has been in place since 2008.

Ethanol alternative

Jeff Wasil, engineering tech expert at Evinrude/BRP, said the company has been involved in recent tests of butanol, a biofuel created from fermentation similar to ethanol, but with fewer issues in outboard engines.

“Butanol is much less likely to create phase separation with water in fuel tanks, and it’s not nearly as likely to dissolve varnish and other sediment in tanks and lines,” said Wasil. “Plus, it can be transported by pipeline, just like petroleum fuels, so the cost of getting it to a blending facility will be lower. Ethanol causes corrosion issues in most pipelines.”

Wasil said butanol can be used in higher concentrations (up to 16.1 percent) in gasoline mixes while delivering the same performance as 10 percent ethanol fuels.

“It’s still more expensive to make than ethanol, but improvements in technology are bringing prices down, and several ethanol plants are being converted to butanol,” he said. “We’re likely to see more of this product in the future.”

Written by
Keith C. Heidorn, PhD, THE WEATHER DOCTOR

We generally think of weather processes as occurring from the surface upward into the atmosphere, but weather has its influences downward into the soil and water bodies as well. Many atmosphere-ocean interactions are well known, particularly those siblings El Niño and La Niña. Atmosphere-lake interactions produce lake-effect snow squalls. Seasonal weather interactions play major roles in the processes and ecology of even the smallest freshwater lakes.

One of the more important is the annual turnover cycle of a fresh-water lake’s water mass. This process happens in many lakes, but not all go through the cycle, particularly those in regions where the temperature rarely drops below 4^oC (39^oF). Whether one does or not can depend on its size, depth and geographical location. Such lakes develop a highly stratified density (temperature) profile as one descends from the surface to depth.

I’ll begin this look at the turnover cycle in late summer when lake surface waters have reached their annual maximum temperatures. At this time in a sufficiently deep lake, you will find a definite stratification or layering of water temperatures. If a lake is too shallow, wind blowing over the lake surface thoroughly mixes the waters and prevents the development of significant stratification. Warmest, and therefore least dense, waters lie on top, and the water temperature decreases with depth, reaching its minimum temperature at the greatest lake depths. How cold the lake bottom water becomes depends on the lake depth and other characteristics (I assume for this discussion no major rivers or streams enter the lake to affect the stratification), but it will never fall below 4^oC (39^oF).

Three Water Layers

With stratification in place in a “deep” lake, we can define three major layers within the lake.

• Epilimnion, an upper layer of circulating warm water, usually no more than 6 m (20 ft) deep, where dissolved oxygen concentrations are moderate to high.
• Thermocline, a layer of rapid temperature and oxygen decrease with depth, often quite thin, separating the upper and lower layers.
• Hypolimnion, a cold, deep-water, non-circulating layer in which oxygen is low or absent.

Winds blowing over the lake generally keep the epilimnion stirred by pushing a quantity of surface water downwind. This draws a flow of deeper water upward (upwelling) along the upwind (windward) shore to replace the pushed waters. As a result, epilimnion waters mix, producing generally warm temperatures and high oxygen content (important to fish and other creatures) throughout the layer. Atmospheric oxygen is added by the air-water interaction to the oxygen produced within the water by aquatic plants.

The thermocline layer has minimal mixing, and what does occur is slow, thus isolating the bottom waters from the surface zone. Because this region lies between the epilimnion and hypolimnion, it is also called the mesolimnion (meso- meaning “middle”).

The hypolimnion is a deep-water stagnant layer where plants alone cannot produce enough oxygen for the layer’s demands. As a result, the hypolimnion is not only depleted or devoid of oxygen, it often contains high concentrations of dissolved hydrogen sulphide and other sulphurous gases, forcing many creatures to move to shallower waters.

Seasonal Stratification Cycle

When the annual seasonal cycle enters late summer and autumn, cold air masses begin dragging polar air southward and the diminishing hours of sunlight allow more radiational heat to escape than is gained from the sun during the day. As a result of both radiational cooling and contact cooling with colder air, lake surface waters start to cool from their summer peaks. Though the epilimnion lake waters cool slowly, their eventual drop in temperature makes them denser than the waters below. When these surface waters reach around 10^oC (50^oF), they sink through the epilimnion into the thermocline waters below. This begins erasing the temperature stratification that had built during summer. (Note that this is a generalization, and each lake can behave a little different based on a number of other factors including is surface area and depth.)

As the thermocline breaks down and upper water temperatures cool to those of the hypolimnion, the full water mass reaches a uniform temperature, and the surface winds are now able to mix the full water body. When the winds are strong and fairly constant in direction for an extended time, the wind establishes a water circulation within the lake. As surface waters are blown downwind, waters from below must rise along the windward shore to replace those waters pushed across the surface. Bottom waters must then rise to replace the ascending waters; and to complete the circuit, leeward shore surface waters, piled up by the wind, must sink to replace the ascending bottom waters.

The resulting circulations will, over time, completely overturn and mix the full lake water mass. This is what is called fall turnover. When the first deep waters rise to the surface, they release their sulphurous gases into the air, often producing a telltale rotten-egg odour. Eventually, the turnover mixes atmospheric oxygen into the full water mass, replenishing the oxygen in deep waters and cleansing the sulphurous gases. This allows fish to return to the depths where many will overwinter.

As the winter approaches in areas where subfreezing temperatures are common, the lake surface temperatures approach the freezing mark. Fortunately for aquatic life — and perhaps all life in these regions — water has a most unique and curious property. Unlike most compounds, water reaches its maximum density as a liquid just before becoming a solid. Under normal conditions, freshwater is most dense at 4^oC (39^oF), and solid water or ice, being less dense than liquid water, floats. Thus, as lake waters move toward freezing, the water sinks when it reaches 4^oC to the lake bottom. Colder water remains above, perhaps eventually becoming capped by an ice layer which further prevents the winds from stirring the water mass.

Think about the consequences for life and climate if ice were denser than water. Instead of floating at the surface, it would sink to the depths, and lakes would fill with ice each winter from the bottom up, eventually providing no liquid water in which fish and other animals could seek refuge. In deeper lakes, it is logical to assume that ice could remain at depth all year long, perhaps not melting, except for small puddles, even in the shallows. Not only would this lead to very different aquatic species inhabiting higher latitude lakes, but the local climate would be greatly altered wherever very cold water bodies remained through the warmer seasons.

Completing the cycle, with spring warming the ice melts and cold surface waters warm until they reach the temperatures of the bottom waters, again producing a fairly uniform temperature distribution throughout the lake. When this occurs, winds blowing over the lake again set up a full circulation system, this mixing known as spring turnover. As the warming continues, the three water layers again become established, and our cycle has been completed.

Walk into any local tackle store, find the resident group of social anglers telling tall tales of the one that got away, and ask them of their thoughts on the Alabama Rig and you will get an array of personal opinions about the hottest lure choice for tournament bass anglers to stir the market in many years. Follow up by asking for their choice of the best swimbait body to tip the rig with and you will, once again, be offered the best seat in the house for a multitude of selective offerings.

Once the dust has settled from the many opinionated answers you have just received you must look at all aspects of your own choice of swimbait for the rig. Of course you want to “match the hatch” by selecting appropriate sizes and colors – That’s a given. But, have you considered the lures action and the durability of the product after a few strikes? How about the cost associated with filling the Alabama rig with, in most cases, an entire pack of swimbait lures?

Let’s start with lure action and durability. When it comes to appearance many manufacturers of these life-like bait-fish imitations have done a great job of making near-exact copies of the major food source for bass, yet some of these lures will not imitate the needed swimming action to entice a bite, especially when retrieved at slow speeds, or when using smaller sizes. The few selections that offer great action, even at slower retrieval speeds, rely on very soft materials and/or very thin tail sections. Herein lies the question of durability. Will such a soft or thin bait hold up to more than one fish strike? This question may not worry you much when tossing a single swimbait, but remember, we’re talking about as many as five swimbait bodies being used at once, with the option to catch multiple fish on one cast. I don’t know about you, but if I was in a situation where I could make one cast and catch multiple fish at once I don’t really want to stop and take additional time away from the fun with the need to replace a torn swimbait body. I want something that will last. Not only will an easily torn swimbait body cost you valuable casting time, it can quickly dig deep into your pocket. Look in catalogs and on the web and you will find varying costs for swimbaits. There’s a swimbait for nearly all budgets, but you have to consider this cost when using multiple lure bodies on one rig.

In short, if you’re gonna load up an Alabama Rig with five swimbait bodies at one time you need to choose a brand that will cover all the bases of your needs: Appearance, Action, Durability, and Cost.

Now here’s where I fall into the category of opinionated anglers, as discussed at the beginning of this post. I, too, have my own personal opinion based on my need for swimbait body appearance, action, durability, and cost, especially when it comes to tossing an Alabama Rig. ZMan has a great selection of these swimbait bodies that fit all of the required criteria. The appearance and detail of their lures will match the hatch perfectly. The action of these lures will mimic baitfish with the best of the best. When it comes to durability, there’s no match. ZMan’s Elaztech material will take the greatest of abuse and still perform time and time again. And, finally, the cost of their lures are excellent for what you get in regards to appearance, action, and durability.

So, if you’re one of the thousands of anglers waiting on the (Backordered due to high demand) Alabama rig to arrive at your door step, take this time to research your best choice in swimbait body for finishing off the application and give ZMan lures a serious look.