Fishing: The Good and the Ugly
As an avid angler, I love the good and cringe at the ugly. And I know the big impact on boat sales fishing has for our industry. So we should all take a moment to recognize good fishing, while blasting that which is not.
Good Case 1: Ladies came from as far away as Texas to participate in the Screamin’ Reels event conducted by the non-profit Ladies Let’s Go Fishing Foundation earlier this month in the Florida Keys at Islamorada. A total of 180 offshore and inshore fish were hooked by the participants in this two-day event.
“Screamin’ Reels is a different breed of tournament for the participants that includes several mother/daughter anglers,” says Betty Bauman, LLGF founder. “In this one, it’s game on for almost every legal offshore or inshore species in the sea. It’s especially designed for novice or average anglers and those who have never caught a fish nor would ever dream of entering a fishing tournament. For so many, especially our newest anglers, it reveals the excitement and accomplishment of what good fishing is all about.”
Over the years, LLGF seminars and events have introduced more than 10,000 women to fishing, and it is the most recognized program of its kind, garnering wide sponsorship from the boating and fishing industries.
Good Case 2: In Michigan, a new statewide “Midwest Walleye Challenge” with cash and non-cash prizes is underway through June 30. In addition to the angling fun for this great-tasting fish, there’s a serious project behind it.
Fisheries biologists from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources came up with this clever way of collecting data to evaluate walleye populations across the state’s inland waters. The DNR wants to determine whether its walleye stocking efforts have been successful or need to be improved in future years.
Anglers will participate by entering catch data into a mobile app, MyCatch by Angler's Atlas. Moreover, the app assures the anglers of an anonymous location data feature so those secret spots will remain secret. Kudos to MDNR.
Good Case 3: Massachusetts Kids Boating & Fishing Week kicks off this Saturday and runs through June 9, with events from Buzzards Bay to Boston Harbor.
“Getting kids on the water in a safe and smart manner is very important to our boating industry,” says Randall Lyons, executive director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, which established Kids Boating & Fishing Week. “After all, we know over 70% of today’s adult boaters were introduced to it when they were kids. Now in our eighth year, we anticipate to continue to expand this program’s locations to reach literally thousands of kids and families with our boating and fishing message.”
Good Case 4: It’s the Lionfish Challenge, and Florida wants anglers to take all they can catch. The event began last Saturday and runs through Sept. 2. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is urging anglers to catch and remove as many invasive lionfish as possible from Florida waters and offering prizes to do so.
There are tiered-prize drawings that reward participation. Tiers include:
Tier 1 - Harvest 25 Lionfish (Recreational Category) or 50 pounds. (Commercial Category)
Tier 2 - Harvest 75 Lionfish (Recreational) or 100 pounds (Commercial)
Tier 3 - Harvest 150 Lionfish (Recreational) or 200 pounds (Commercial)
Tier 4 – Harvest 300 Lionfish (Recreational) or 400 pounds (Commercial)
Tier 5 – Harvest 600 Lionfish (Recreational) or 800 pounds (Commercial)
And there’s a bonus for lionfish anglers, too. Once stripped of its spines and filleted, this fish is edible and delicious.
Ugly Case 1: A Louisiana man was arrested last week after game wardens from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife determined he had placed 2.59 pounds of lead weights in a bass during a fishing tournament on Toledo Bend. Aaron Moreau, 38, was taken into custody for “alleged bass fishing contest violations.” A “Big Bass Splash” spokesman relayed details in a video statement posted that’s received more than 42,000 views, although Moreau is not named in the video.
Maybe it’s the prizes. Maybe something else. But cheaters like this guy give fishing and good events a bad name. A well-earned salute to agents from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife that took Moreau, who fled the tourney scene, into custody for the alleged “bass fishing contest violations.”
Ugly Case 2: An Indiana man allegedly cheated in a Chicago area bass tournament earlier this month by bringing fish across state lines and trying to pass them off as tournament catches. One might say this loser was caught red-handed when someone smelled something fishy.
According to a news release, Illinois Conservation Police acted on information that 49-year-old David Moore of St. John, Ind., was hiding fish on a stringer on the Calumet River. The Cal Sag Bass Anglers Tournament was scheduled for the following morning on the Little Calumet River in Burnham, Ill., a Chicago suburb, close to the Indiana border.
Kudos to the Illinois Conservation Police for taking action against this cheater.
