Senate Environment and Public Works Committee improves and passes important fisheries legislation
Alexandria, VA – The sportfishing industry applauds the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for advancing the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015. This bill, which will improve fisheries conservation and recreational fishing access throughout the country, has now cleared all committees of jurisdiction in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and now awaits action on the floor of both chambers. Read more
As the winter fishing season gets under way, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers that fisheries staff again will be interviewing them about their fishing trips. The DNR appreciates anglers’ cooperation in obtaining these critical data for fisheries management.
DNR creel clerks will, through brief interviews, ask anglers thow long they fished, what species they targeted, what they caught and where they live. In a few instances, they will ask to measure or weigh fish and take scale samples to gather key biological information on anglers’ catches. Read more
On Wednesday, January 20, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee is scheduled to hold a markup on the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act (S. 659).
In March 2015, after a testimony before Congress with various stakeholders and supporters, including Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane, the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act, S. 405, was split for two mark ups: S. 556 includes provisions that were marked up the Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee, and S. 659 includes the remaining provisions that will be reviewed by the EPW Committee. After the passage of S. 556, with overwhelming support from the ENR Committee in November, the second portion of the bill awaits its review in order to move forward to a full Senate floor vote.
S. 659 includes: the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act (adding lead fishing tackle and components to the list of exempted products from EPA regulation); Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act; Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act; Farmer and Hunter Protection Act; protecting the right of individuals to bear arms at water resource development projects; and the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Act.
In anticipation of next week’s markup, contact your Members of Congress on the Senate EPW Committee and urge them to support the interests of America’s sportsmen and women during the mark up of S. 659.
– See more at: http://www.sportsmenslink.org/the-media-room/news/sportsmens-act-scheduled-for-senate-committee-markup#sthash.e0voN157.dpuf
On Select Trolling Motor PurchasesRACINE, Wis.– Minn Kota® wants to help put more fish in the boat and keep more money in anglers’ pockets in 2016 by offering up to $112 in mail-in rewards with the purchase of select trolling motors.
The following rebates are being offered from January 1 to June 1, 2016, on some of Minn Kota’s most popular motors: Read more
Shanties participating in sturgeon season on Black LakeThe Department of Natural Resources has announced the 2016 lake sturgeon fishing season on Black Lake (Cheboygan County) will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. All anglers must register to participate in the lake sturgeon season.The 2016 total harvest limit for Black Lake is seven lake sturgeon. However, to reduce the chance of exceeding the harvest limit, officials will close the season when one of two scenarios occurs:
1) Once the sixth fish is harvested, or
2) If five fish have been harvested at the end of any fishing day. Read more
Free Fishing WeekendThe Department of Natural Resources wants to remind everyone the annual Winter Free Fishing Weekend is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14. That weekend, everyone – residents and non-residents alike – can fish without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply.
Michigan has celebrated the Winter Free Fishing Weekend every year since 1994 as a way to promote awareness of the state’s vast aquatic resources. With more than 3,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, tens of thousands of miles of rivers and streams, and 11,000 inland lakes, Michigan and fishing are a perfect match. Read more
Award-winning Hydro-Flo design applied to hanging bait storage in all-new Plano® M-Series Hydro-Flo™ Tackle BagPlano, IL – In 2011, Plano’s original Guide Series 4674 Hydro-Flo™ Tackle Bag earned an ICAST “Best of Show” for an ingenious design that allowed water to flow right through the base of the bag, an industry first. Since then, the Hydro-Flo has become a favorite with anglers the world over. Read more
Additional standard features include low battery indicator, multiple power options, and 3.5 day Survival mode increase safety at affordable priceBayco Products, Inc has introduced three new Nightstick® branded Intrinsically Safe Class I, Division 1 Angle lights that offer more standard lifesaving features and functions than existing angle lights currently offered in the market today. New models: XPP-5570R, XPR-5572R, and XPR-5572RM now available for global sale.
Each new Nightstick angle light model is cULus and MSHA certified Intrinsically Safe Permissible, water-rated as IP-X7 waterproof and meets requirements of NFPA-1971-8.6 (2013). Made from durable glass-filled nylon polymer, these individually serialized angle lights feature a heavy-duty stainless-steel pocket clip that eliminate slippage when attached to a firefighter’s jacket or respirator pack and include a top-mounted visible low-battery indicator that illuminates in low battery situations. Read more
Crosslake, MN – With the release of a single, ingenious item, Aqua-Vu has immediately made underwater viewing exponentially easier, more convenient and ultimately more fun.Coupling leading-edge fishing reel design with intricate video electronics, the new Aqua-Vu Micro Manager is an extraordinary yet simple-to-use underwater camera/cable retrieval system—another technological first from the company who engineered the original underwater viewing system nearly twenty years ago. Read more
Coast Guard provides commercial fishing safety training in Garibaldi, Ore.
BOSTON — The Coast Guard is reminding boaters and paddlers heading out on the water this month to keep safety in mind.
Weather forecasts are slated to bring unseasonably warm air, but the water can be dangerously cold. The current water temperature in Boston Harbor is 46 degrees Fahrenheit, but last winter during the coldest month it averaged 36 degrees Fahrenheit.
“Excited boaters and paddlers in their new canoes and kayaks will understandably want to take advantage of the mild weather,” said Walt Taylor, the 1st Coast Guard District’s recreational boating safety specialist. “The Coast Guard strongly recommends everyone boating this winter always wear a lifejacket over a dry-suit or wetsuit, carry a VHF radio, and file a float plan with someone who knows when you are leaving, where you are going, and when you plan to be back.”
The ocean and inland waterways in New England pose unique dangers in the wintertime.
“When a person falls in cold water, their body responds to initial shock with an instantaneous gasp for air,” said Taylor. “If their head is underwater, this may cause the person to swallow water and drown.”
The Coast Guard’s boating safety mobile app titled “United States Coast Guard” can be found in Apple and Google Play online stores, and is a great tool for boaters.
