Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
FLIPPIN, Ark. – Ranger Boats is providing additional incentives for potential boat buyers this year with the announcement of its 2020 retail sales promotions. With limited-time-only offers geared for fiberglass, aluminum, saltwater and pontoon customers, qualifying purchases will receive benefits up to $2,350 in combined retail value for eligible models. Read more
Last week, the Trump administration and China reached a partial deal – known as the Phase One Trade Agreement – to deescalate the ongoing trade war. While some details of the agreement have yet to be released – including the timeline for implementation – NMMA welcomed the news and urged both parties to keep negotiating until all tariffs are removed. Read more
On November 25, Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Representative Tommy Gregory pre-filed legislation that would increase harassment protections for sportsmen and women and create a sales tax holiday for hunting and fishing supplies.
Specifically, House Bill 777 would augment the statute prohibiting harassment of hunters, anglers and trappers by extending protections to prohibit harassment on public lands and public waters.
The legislation would also establish an outdoor sporting goods tax holiday on September 5, 2020 for firearms, ammunition and fishing supplies. Read more
Looking for property? DNR public land auction starts Tuesday
Nearly 150 surplus parcels, up to 160 acres in size, are available
Lake views, river access, winding trails and more – in many prime locations throughout much of Michigan – are available starting Tuesday, Dec. 10. That’s when the Michigan Department of Natural Resources begins its winter auction of surplus public land, offering 147 individual parcels ranging in size from less than an acre to 160 acres.
The auction is part of the DNR’s strategy to efficiently manage public land while maximizing outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors. Bids will be accepted through Jan. 8, 2020.
Land is available in counties mainly in central/northern Lower Michigan and in the Upper Peninsula. Counties include Allegan, Alpena, Bay, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Houghton, Iosco, Jackson, Kalkaska, Lake, Mackinac, Midland, Missaukee, Muskegon, Newaygo, Otsego, Saint Clair and Van Buren. Several of the largest parcels are in Alpena, Dickinson and Newaygo counties. Read more
Evolved HD optics, water-clearing video software and more upgrades highlight
Aqua-Vu® HDi Gen 2 Underwater Viewing Systems
Crosslake, MN (December 4, 2019) – At first ice, guide Brian “Bro” Brosdahl likes to go for a little swim. Call him crazy, but Bro chalks it up to research.
The most remarkable part of Brosdahl’s underwater exploration isn’t that he’s able to take the plunge without getting wet. Rather, it’s that this particular ‘trick’ reveals hidden fish and other enigmatic underwater details . . . right from the comforts of his ice shelter. In other words, Bro’s little trick puts him steps ahead of other anglers in a game defined by one’s ability to sniff out untapped pods of fish.
“That’s the genius of an Aqua-Vu,” says Brosdahl, a pioneering Northern Minnesota ice angler. “The optics of the new HDi Gen-2 cameras are so precise and tuned-in they can vividly display leaf colors on aquatic vegetation and the bugs living on them. My HD10i Pro shows me individual rocks so clearly that I should probably take up underwater agate hunting,” he laughs. Read more
COLUMBUS, Georgia — These breathable multi-climate chest waders have a removable zippered liner system with 120 grams of insulation for versatility and adaptive comfort in all conditions. The shin, knees and seat areas feature heavy-duty, abrasion-resistant nylon, and the 1,200-gram Thinsulate boot has a cleated outsole.
MSRP: $289.99
One lucky TrophyCatch registrant is going to win a brand-new bass boat this weekend and the public can enjoy the festivities. Thanks to conservation partnerships, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) TrophyCatch program will be awarding a Phoenix Bass Boats Pro 819 to one of five randomly-selected finalists. The boat is powered by a 200hp Mercury Marine motor and MotorGuide trolling motor, guided by Lowrance electronics, and anchored by Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor System.
“It’s an incredibly nice bass fishing package valued at over $56,000,” said Jon Fury, director of FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “Everyone who sees it — staff and anglers alike — have been impressed with the design and layout. Only generous partnerships with industry and conservation leaders like Phoenix Bass Boats and Mercury Marine make such an offering possible.”
The drawing will take place this Saturday, Dec. 7, following the 2 p.m. weigh-in for the Bobby Lane High School Cup (BLC) fishing tournament at Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge, Marina & RV Resort, 14900 Camp Mack Rd., Lake Wales, FL 33898. The public is invited to attend the drawing. The five drawing finalists were randomly selected from 28,384 TrophyCatch program registrants, and are Ben Furfine, Charlie Hobson, Mike Jarvis, Roland Paradise Jr., and James Morgan. The drawing this Saturday will determine which of the lucky finalists will go home a winner of the new Phoenix bass boat package.
The Bobby Lane High School Cup is a nonprofit tournament held annually to raise funds to provide educational scholarships for high school seniors with an interest in bass fishing. Teams from all over the southern states come to compete for the title of BLC Champions.
TrophyCatch is a citizen-science conservation program that rewards anglers who catch, document and release largemouth bass heavier than 8 pounds throughout Florida. Data collected by the program help the FWC better enhance, conserve and promote trophy bass fishing. Anglers who wish to participate — and who want to be included in next year’s boat drawing — can visit TrophyCatch.com to register and learn more.
OCEANSIDE, Calif. – A passport can take you wherever you want to go… as long as you have the financial resources to support your adventurous aspirations. But money doesn’t always have to be an obstacle. Hobie – provider of its own special brand of recreation and adventure – offers an ideal solution.
The latest addition to Hobie’s fun fleet of exciting, pedal-driven watercraft – the new Mirage Passport 12 – is available now at Hobie dealers worldwide. The feature-rich value-laden Mirage Passport 12 can take anglers and other on-the-water-adventure-seekers wherever they want to go with world-class Hobie performance. Best of all, it does so at an appealing price point.
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Lake Worth, Fl. – There are few things more exciting than watching a bait suspended by a kite get ambushed from below. Tigress Outriggers & Gear gives you everything you need to get in on this exhilarating and productive way of fishing, no matter what the wind is doing.
Kite fishing involves dangling a bait below a kite, similar to the one you flew as a kid. Baits are presented seductively near the surface, with only the tantalizing motion of the baitfish visible to the predators below. This stealthy approach gives you an edge in even the most pressured fishery.Though it’s usually associated with sailfish, the technique catches marlin, tuna, wahoo, and even mahi from Norcal to Nova Scotia.
Tigress offers a kite fishing set up for every scenario, from near-howling winds to the gentlest breeze. These kites are just what you need to start fishing in this thrilling manner. In the unlikely event that something breaks, each kite includes spare parts so you can be back to fishing in minutes. Read more
By Bill Shedd, AFTCO
In the past decade, performance fishing shirts have evolved from vented, cotton and poly-blend shirts towards materials and fabrications that feature improved synthetic technology. But in the world of performance fishing shirts, which is better—old or new?
Since 1989 the American Fishing Tackle Company (AFTCO) has designed, produced and sold over 25 million garments for men and women anglers and others who love being in, on, and around the water. Those sales include cotton T-shirts, long sleeve and short sleeve sun protection performance shirts, hats, fishing shorts and more. Our long-term involvement with fishing clothing has generated many questions from both our retail partners and consumers about sun protection fishing shirts. At the center of many of those questions is confusion and misinformation.
It is not as complicated as many make it to be. Read more
