Conservation

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Sargassum, a most valuable weed

We see it most every time we go out on the water, and unless we’re trolling for wahoo or dolphinfish, we probably just take Sargassum weed for granted and don’t give it a second thought.

Sharks and Empty Trophic Levels

We all know nature hates a vacuum, and she’s almost as picky about trophic levels in ecosystems. Which brings up an interesting situation in the Gulf of Mexico. During the late nineteen eighties and nineties, the commercial shark fishery hit the Gulf shark stocks pretty hard.

Lengthy Gulf Restoration Plan Needs to Dive Deeper

If you're like me, the recent holiday season has erased some of your memory (I think it’s all the sweets), and you may be in need of a refresher on where we left off in the Gulf restoration process. Recently, the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) trustees released a long-awaited draft Early Restoration Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Phase III Environmental Restoration Plan (ERP). This was exciting news for the Gulf of Mexico, because the PEIS is critical for laying the groundwork for a comprehensive, long-term and integrated restoration process in the wake of the BP oil disaster. Ocean Conservancy’s experts have been going through the nearly 2,500- page document with a fine tooth comb over the last several weeks, and we are pleased to present you with our preliminary views.

FWC-Gone Coastal: Helping your fish survive helps you

Guest Columnist Amanda Alley Imagine for a minute you are out to sea, line wet, with about 150 feet of …

Releasing Florida’s biggest TrophyCatch earns angler bling and ultimate bragging rights

Bass anglers in Florida have more reasons than ever to practice catch-and-release. To help encourage the angling public to document …

Reef Madness

Local anglers appreciate Florida reefs if for no other reason than that it is where the fishing is good. Millions …

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Lake Erie’s Big Brown Bass

Lake Erie boasts some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the world. On this massive lake, the Eastern Basin offers a stellar habitat for bronzebacks.

Under The Sea – Slings and Polearms

There’s a retro-movement taking place—a trend toward primitive hunting gear. Slings and polespears are used in places that do not allow trigger mechanisms.

Upstate New York Bass on the Fly!

For an angler, being outside and fishing in a short sleeve shirt with no one around should be enough to call any day a success. This day was about to get better. As we cast into a river with increasing water temps and a majority of the steelhead already back in Lake Ontario, our expectations of a tight line were low. Soon enough, as we launched large flies into the water, the addicting tight line grabs began. These fierce strikes were not steelhead, but hungry smallmouth bass. We enjoyed a full day on the river swinging 4-plus-inch flies and catching more than 25 smallmouth bass apiece.