2017 Walmart FLW Tour Schedule
What is becoming a tradition at ICAST in Orlando is the announcement of the up-coming season of the Walmart FLW Tour. This year six Walmart FLW Tour pros joined FLW weighmaster Chris Jones in announcing the lucky venues. The date and location of the 2017 Forest Wood Cup will be announced at the 2016 Forest Wood Cup on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville AL on August 7th. The 2017 Walmart FLW Tour Schedule includes:
Feb 16-19; Lake Travis, Jonestown TX
Mar 9-12; Harris Chain, Leesburg, FL
Apr 6-9; Lake Cumberland, Burnside, KY
Apr 27-30; Beaver Lake, Roger, AR
May 18-21; Mississippi River, La Crosse, WI
Jun 15-18; Potomac River, Marbury, MD
TDB Forest Cup
East Coast Nutrient Rich Waters Reach Georgia
By Mitchell Roffer, Sport Fishing
The image, enhanced by ROFFS, shows the discolored water reaching the western side of the Gulf Stream and being carried north approximately 270 miles. This is the polluted water, coming from Lake Okeechobee that has been diverted to Florida’s east and west coasts instead of being sent down its natural path through central Florida to be cleaned by the Everglades before entering into Florida Bay.
The water appears brown off Port. St. Lucie and by the time it reaches the Savannah area it appears as a blue-green water. The change in color is likely to be due to dilution by the Gulf Stream waters. Other recent satellite imagery does not show this water as clearly as this one due to clouds and other atmospheric effects. This provides evidence that Florida is transporting unhealthy polluted waters to other states.
FWC Invites Communities for Bear Conflict Reduction Funding
By: Carli Segelson, FWC
Date: July 12, 2016
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites counties and other local governments to submit proposals so the agency can effectively distribute state funding for reducing bear conflicts in Florida communities. The $825,000 in funding will be dedicated to programs that are committed to taking a BearWise approach and can demonstrate a measureable reduction in human-bear interactions. Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Legislature invested $500,000 in this fund and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida added $325,000 from proceeds of the “Conserve Wildlife” license plate. Sixty percent of the $500,000 from the Legislature must go to local governments which have passed ordinances to reduce human-bear conflicts. Local governments have until Oct. 14, 0216 to submit their proposals.
Get Teens Fishing
By: Amber Nabors, FWC
Participation in rough-and-tumble sports is a great way to get high schoolers exercising. But there are many students who want a different type of adrenaline rush than getting tackled on the football field or tossed in the air while cheering for their team. For those students, I strongly suggest fishing, and there is even funding available to get a team started or add members to an existing team.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), along with its partners the Fishing League Worldwide Foundation (FLW) and The Bass Federation’s Student Angler Federation, are offering a grant from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation to encourage the creation and success of high school fishing teams and clubs in Florida. This partnership places a particular emphasis on establishing new high school angling teams and supporting existing ones in schools with diverse student populations. The program will provide grants of up to $500 to assist with expenses related to fishing team or club-sponsored tournaments, team jerseys, insurance, and education for novice anglers. Supported teams and clubs will also partner with the FWC, FLW Foundation and The Bass Federation to complete a conservation project. The program not only benefits the students, but program participants and their families will receive education on conservation programs, aquatic and marine biology, and boating and angler safety.
High school can be incredibly stressful, and getting on or near the water to cast a line is a great stress reliever. Fishing encourages focusing on just one task at a time, which can give the brain the break it needs to process and store helpful information. Fishing also promotes mindfulness, because being aware of fish habitats and changing weather and water conditions affect fish behavior improves fishing success. And fishing doesn’t exclude the ladies. According to a recent report released by the RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation, of the 46 million Americans who fish today, more than one-third of them are women. In fact, the 2013 Florida High School State Champions were a female and male team from Bartow High School, and Tennessee’s Bethel University became the first college to offer a female angler a scholarship in 2010.
High school fishing teams and clubs do not have to be comprised of students from a single school. Students from several schools may come together to form a team or club and fishing is one of the few sports where both male and female students can compete on the same team, at the same level.
There are countless benefits for both male and female students competing in team sports, such as building confidence, teaching respect and contributing to better health and stronger academics. But there are added benefits for female teammates competing alongside their male counterparts, such as an enhance image of themselves and a general overall resiliency, according to Jeffrey Rhoades, author of “The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child.” Plus, the team camaraderie offers benefits to both sexes, as they enhance their social skills and learn to view one another as a friend and not an intimidating person.
High schoolers can also earn college scholarships for bass fishing. According to Bassmaster.com, there are nine colleges in Florida that have fishing teams affiliated with the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series: Daytona State College, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Florida, Florida State University, Indian River State College, Polk State College, Seminole State College of Florida, University of Central Florida and University of North Florida. The University of Florida even made the Fishing League Worldwide’s (FLW) list of the “Top 25 Bass Fishing Colleges.”
There is still ample grant funding available, so interested parties are encouraged to apply soon for consideration at www.flwfishing.com/foundation. For more information about this program, email Amber Nabors at Amber.Nabors@MyFWC.com.
ICAST 2016 Best in Show (BIS)
By ICAST – ASA
BIS-Overall: Johnson Outdoors Inc; Minn Kota Ultrex.
BIS-Freshwater Rod: St Croix Rods; Legend Glass Rod
BIS-Saltwater Rod: Lew’s Fishing Tackle; Lew’s Mach Speed Stick/Inshore Rod
BIS-Fly Fishing Rod: St Croix Rods; Sole
BIS- Freshwater Reel: Lew’s Fishing Tackle, Custom Pro SLP
BIS-Saltwater Reel: Pure Fishing Inc; Penn Slammer III
BIS-Fly Reel: Pure Fishing Inc; Pflueger President Fly Reel
BIS-Hard Lure: Savage Gear; Suicide Duck
BIS-Soft Lure: Squidnation; Longtail Flippy Floppy
BIS-Lifestyle Apparel: Under Armor, Inc; Men’s US Fish Stalker SS
BIS-Technical Apparel: Palno Synergy; Frabill I-Float Suit
BIS-Boating Accessory: Johnson Outdoors, Inc: Minn Kota Ultrex
BIS-Boats: Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Inc; Old Town Predator PDL
BIS-Combo: Lew’s Fishing Tackle; Mach II Speed Spool Combo
BIS-Eyewear: Costa; Rafael
BIS-Fishing Accessory: YETI Coolers; Hopper Flip 12
BIS-Fish Smart: Adventure Products; EGO Kryptek S1 Genesis Medium Clear Landing Net
BIS-Fly Fishing Accessory: Boomerang; Retractable Fly Box
BIS-Footwear: Shimano American Company; Flats Wading Boots
BIS-Giftware: Weego; Weego Jump Start 44
BIS-Kid’s Tackle: Steinhauser LLC; 48” Starter Rod Combo
BIS-Line: G. Puccie & Sons Inc; P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon
BIS-Tackle Management: Cobra Garage Door Storage; Cobra Garage Door Storage Rack
BIS-Terminal Tackle: Trapper Tackle; DropShot/Live Bait/Finesse Hook
