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Photo courtesy of KENNETH MORRIS -

Homer angler Kenneth Morris caught a 54-pound king salmon while fishing from his dad’s 28-foot Bayliner “Dock Holiday.”

Hi gang, Rick Ostler here bringing you Bayliner Boats along with news and views from the boating industry. Here is a great article on alaska fishing adventures from Anchorage, Alaska. SURPRISE: Fishing was slow, but Homer angler kept at it and caught himself a whopper.

Six chilly hours had passed trolling Kachemak Bay off Seldovia without a single thrill, and Homer angler Kenneth Morris, 26, was considering heading home. He well knew that fishing for winter or early spring king salmon can be spotty at best.

Then it happened.

“He hit like a ton of bricks,” Morris said. “My rod was bent over hard.”

alaska fishing adventures

- Homer Winter King Salmon Derby

Morris regularly trolls for winter kings in the bay and has frequently fished the Homer Winter King Salmon Derby, which attracted 793 anglers on 236 boats this year. Four years ago, he caught a hefty 25-pound king in the derby, but this one felt different. Bigger. Much bigger.

“He kept diving back down to the bottom,” Morris said. “When he wanted to run to the bottom, he did. No problem.”

Morris, who was fishing aboard his dad’s 28-foot Bayliner “Dock Holiday,” started to worry when the king ripped off three-quarters of his line. Would the fish strip it all or perhaps even snap his rod?

“The first two times he saw the boat, he spooked pretty good and went for a long run. But by the third time he was beat and swam right into the net.”

Morris weighed the fish on a scale at the Coal Point Seafood Company in Homer, and Fish and Game biologist Carol Kerkvliet confirmed the 54-pound weight.

That’s not big for a summer king — the world record is Les Anderson’s 97-pounder caught in the Kenai River 23 years ago this month, and 75-pounders are an annual event.

But a 30-pound winter king is a big fish. After all, a 34-pounder was big enough to win angler John Forster $16,653 at Homer’s Winter King Salmon Tournament in March.

“He hit considerably harder than any other winter king I’ve caught,” Morris said, “and was much bigger too.”

The big king is being mounted and Morris was back on the water within days, hoping to land a fish for the freezer. “I caught one just a couple of days ago,” he said.

Unfortunately, Morris doesn’t have much company. Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports Southcentral fishing ranges from slow to pitiful, dampened by the late snowfall and cool spring temperatures.

Still there’s no denying the fishing itch once mid-May rolls around. If you’ve got to scratch, these may be your best prospects.

alaska fishing adventures……. begin in the Anchor River

• King salmon fishing begins in the Anchor River on Saturday, and because Fish and Game recently discovered it has long undercounted the return there, Wednesdays were added to the days anglers can fish. The Anchor will be open for five weekends and the following Wednesday through June 18.

• Salt water king salmon trollers working the south side of Kachemak Bay and Bluff Point should see action gradually build as water temperatures warm. Herring, hootchies, tube flies and spoons all work. Dodgers or flashers add a little mustard to the setup.

• Seward halibut anglers are starting to bring in flatfish in the 15-to-30-pound range as well as rockfish. The new rockfish bag limit in Resurrection Bay is four per day, and only one can be a nonpelagic rockfish.

• In Mat-Su, early kings will soon be available in the Deshka and Little Susitna rivers. Remember that only the first 17 miles of the Deshka are open and that fishing is closed 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

alaska fishing adventures - on the Kenai Peninsula

• Once the ice is off Stormy Lake on the Kenai Peninsula, anglers should be able to target hungry early-season northern pike that are easy to access. And if you like eating pike, you’re in luck — there’s no bag limit or closed season.

• Got a yen for small, oily hooligan? Grab a net. Hooligan should be rolling into Twenty Mile River south of town this week and the netting is typically feast or famine.

But perhaps the most solid prospect is clamming. There will be some slight minus tides on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Fish and Game says “diggers are reporting an abundance of small razor clams and a few large clams from the Clam Gulch access area. For larger clams, head south to the Ninilchik or Whiskey Gulch access locations. Thanks to MIKE CAMPBELL, mcampbell@adn.com The Anchorage Daily News www.adn.com.

Alaska Fishing and Lodging

Alaska Fishing Lodge
Welcome to Alaska Fishing and Lodging. Our Alaska Fishing Lodge is located on the beautiful Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.
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Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker
Specific Alaska Fishing Information
http://www.mgfalaska.com/

Guided Fishing and Hiking at Stephan Lake Lodge
Enjoy Alaska wilderness sportfishing the way it’s meant to be.
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alaska fishing adventures

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David Andrews and Pineland Marina Capt. Greg Hood combined for 28 snook, including two in the slot, casting Bone Super Spook Jr. plugs in the Useppa Island area of Pine Island Sound on Wednesday.

Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats. A cold front due this weekend will likely put a damper on some of the good fishing action that has produced grouper and other nice bottom fish for offshore anglers, trout and snook on bay flats, and bass and crappie for Big O anglers. On the up side, sheepshead should keep right on biting through the wind and cold.

TROUT: George Pasti of Massachusetts and daughters Caroline, 6, and Kathryn, 9, caught 14 nice trout to 18 inches and too many mangrove snapper for SoulMate Charters Capt. Rob Modys to count. They were fishing shrimp under corks on grass flats and under mangroves in Matlacha Pass on Tuesday before catching two blacktip and two bonnethead sharks on cut ladyfish at Bunche Beach.

On Saturday, New Yorker Pete Atwater used all-white Clouser Minnow flies to catch five bluefish to 3 pounds off the Sanibel Light, before he and Capt. Modys moved up Pine Island Sound to the McKeever Keys to catch 24 trout to 18 inches on dark green Clousers.

The Bait Box on Sanibel reports trout biting from the Sanibel Causeway.

Cape Tool & Tackle owners have been catching some nice trout. Wayne Dutton caught specks to 26 inches Tuesday around oyster bars near Demere Key in Pine Island Sound, and Miles Meredith reported a catch of six to 24 inches from inside the bar off Two Pines, at the northeast corner of Matlacha Pass. The also heard of some nice trout being caught near Captiva Rocks in the sound.

King Fisher bay boats have been sticking to trout fishing, which has been good in Punta Gorda area canals and creeks, fishing with shrimp on jig heads or under popping corks.

SHEEPSHEAD: Bait Box customers have been catching sheepshead and Spanish mackerel at the Sanibel Pier, and sheepshead and ladyfish around the culverts on Wildlife Drive, in Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

Lehr’s Economy Tackle in North Fort Myers got a report from Springfield, Va., angler Bobby Gore of sheepshead to 5 pounds and a few nice snapper biting at the old phosphate dock at Boca Grande Pass, where a few apparently were being picked off by big goliath grouper before they could be wrested from the pilings. Other customers of Lehr’s report seeing plenty of sheepshead around oyster bars and mangroves in the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, although the sheepies haven’t been acting very hungry.

SNOOK: St. James City Capt. George Grosselfinger reported coming in from California and running out at 4 p.m. on Tuesday to catch 10 small snook and one of slot size. The next morning Robert Gammon of Pine Island fished with Grosselfinger and caught 13 snook to 31 inches, one 24-inch red, one 23-inch trout and two jacks while New Penney Exude baits on 1/4-ounce jig heads, topwater plugs and a spinnerbait in cuts along the west side of Pine Island.

Pineland Marina Capt. Greg Hood and friend Dave Andrews cast Zara Super Spook Jr. plugs in the wind around Cabbage Key Wednesday afternoon to release 28 snook, including two in the slot.

REDFISH: San Carlos Bay has been the hot spot for redfish. Lehr’s is getting reports from waders and kayakers who have been catching slot-size fish along the northern shore between Bunche Beach and the Sanibel Causeway toll booths. And the Bait Box is hearing of reds biting for anglers fishing from the causeway’s restroom island.

King Fisher bay boat Capt. Robin Leach’s Wednesday party caught only one red above I-75 in the Peace River, in about two hours of prospecting, which is unusually slow for this time of year.

MIXED BAGS: Carole and Kenny Mathis caught three keeper mangrove snapper and a pair of 16-inch whiting, and released some small sheepshead and a 22-inch snook fishing lower Ester Bay between Barefoot Beach and Wigging Pass on a Fishbuster Charter with Bonita Beach Capt. Dave Hanson Monday morning.

The Bait Box reports a few bonnethead sharks and whiting biting on the beaches of Sanibel, and some pompano being caught off the causeway.

North Fort Myers angler Pete Phillips reports jumping about four tarpon per trip to the Orange River area, and Lehr’s also reports plenty of big “nap” jacks also in the power plant effluent. Those are jacks so big, they make you want to go home and take a nap.

OFFSHORE: Tom Batchellor, Lee Larsen, Steve Sidlik and Bud Glanzer caught five mangrove snapper to 16 inches and some whitebone porgies fishing with shrimp in 40 feet of water out of New Pass Wednesday on a Fishbuster Charter. On Tuesday in 45 feet of water, Ron Musick, Dick Arnett, Jim Novak and Bob Mayer caught two 16-inch hogfish, eight snapper to 16 inches, a mess of porgies and three sheepshead to 20 inches. They also caught and released many bluefish and short grouper.

Capt. Hanson’s Saturday trip with Jim Madsen, Brian Distesano, Frank Troy, Carl McDonald and Matt Keenan produced 15 keeper sheepshead to 19 inches, seven short sheepies, lots of short grouper and a release of a six-foot goliath grouper on inshore reefs off Bonita Beach. Friday was good for a catch of about 30 sheepshead caught by Peder Engebretson, Mike Higgins, Sr. and Mike Higgins, Jr. And last Thursday John Bileau caught eight keeper mangrove snapper and a mess of porgies in 42 feet of water out of New Pass.

Cape Tool reports big bonita really biting in the vicinity of marker No. 1 out of Fort Myers Beach.

King Fisher offshore boats out of Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda have been boxing gag grouper every day — usually two or three, and sometimes as many as five — plus some nice shots of mangrove snapper and triggerfish. The best grouper fishing has been in depths of 60 to 70 feet off Boca Grande, but there have been some keeper gags on the ledges in the 40- to 50-foot zone, where sheepshead have been biting by the dozen.

Fresh water

LAKE TRAFFORD: Enthusiasm waned this week at the Immokalee lake, where no anglers mustered the gumption to shove their boats through the mud to go crappie fishing.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE:
Jim Wells at Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina in Clewiston reports anglers are going back to basics and scoring with good numbers of big bass. The effects of 30 mph winds on Wednesday remained to be seen at the time of this report, but fishing had been very good in the Rim Canal, where worms from 4 to 10 inches were catching lots of fish when retrieved with excruciating patience.

“Just jiggle it, move it a foot, and let it lay,” said Wells. You’ve got to go slow.”

One pontoon boat owner from Illinois started every day last week with two dozen wild shiners that he converted into eight bass from 5 to 7 pounds, plus one 12 pound, 2 ounce hawg in five days of fishing.

Clewiston Capt. Terry Garrels also reports good success with crankbaits in the Rim Canal between Moore Haven and Belle Glade. Customer Norm Gum of Asheville, N.C. released a 7-5 bass taken on a junebug Zoom Trick Worm on a 3/16-ounce Shaky Head Jig.

Crappie fishing also is reported very good in the Rim Canal around pads, stickups and other structure, and along the dropoff in the “ship channel” out of Clewiston.

Fish tip
The classic rig for sheepshead is the “fishfinder” — a hook on a relatively short leader of about 20-pound monofilament, a black barrel swivel, and a relatively heavy egg sinker on the line above the swivel. The sinker is allowed to rest on the bottom, but the line is kept tight so bites are telegraphed up the line. No-stretch braided line adds to the sensitivity. Carlisle style hooks with their slightly longer shank make unhooking fish easier. Crustaceans including shrimp, crabs and sandfleas all make great baits.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with a Bassmaster Classic event coming up. One lucky fishing fan who attends the Feb. 22-24 Bassmaster Classic in Greenville, S.C., will have a shot at a lunker-size prize in the Berkley Cast for Cash contest.
If the caster is successful, he or she will win $50,000.
At the final day’s weigh-in at Greenville’s Bi-Lo Center, Berkley will give a randomly selected fan one chance to cast a hookless practice plug a distance of 60 feet into a target 12 inches in diameter.
The contestant will be picked at random from entrants who register at the Berkley booth at the 2008 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at Greenville’s Carolina First Center. To be eligible to make the cast, the contestant must be present at the Bi-Lo Center when his or her name is drawn.
Details, rules and entry forms will be available at the Berkley exhibit at the Classic Outdoors Expo. The show will be open from noon to 9 p.m. ET Feb. 22; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 23; and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 24.
While fans enjoy the Classic Outdoors Expo, 50 anglers will be competing for the Classic’s first-place prize of $500,000 on Lake Hartwell. Classic contenders will bring their catches to the Bi-Lo Center stage beginning at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free to all Classic events.

INSIDER BONUS. The 2008 BASS Fantasy Fishing season on www.Bassmaster.com will offer a bonus for BASS Insider members: a chance to win a fishing trip to Mexico.
The leading BASS Insider member at the end of the fantasy season will win a trip for two to Lake El Salto, a well-known home to lunker largemouths.
The winner’s grand prize will be airfare for two, three guided fishing days, meals and a four-night, five-day stay at Anglers Inn, a lakeside lodge that provides guiding services as well as accommodations.
Beginning this week, players can make their picks for the Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 22-24 on Lake Hartwell and in Greenville, S.C.

ROOKIE SPINS INTO WRAP SPONSOR. Rookie Jay Fuller already has put in many days of hard work, and he has yet to make his first cast in Elite competition.
He not only has to be ready for the opening of the Bassmaster Elite Series season in early March, but also for his first Bassmaster Classic. He qualified for both by scoring third place in the 2007 Bassmaster Central Open points race.
That was at the end of September. Since then, Fuller has been busy lining up sponsors for the 2008 season and pinning down the design for his Longshank boat wrap.
He plans to debut the wrap on his new Ranger/Yamaha rig at the Feb. 22-24 Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell, but completing the job in time will be a push.
“I’m going to pick up the boat and get it wrapped on my way up to the Classic this week,” said Fuller, who will travel from his home in Kingston, Okla., to be at Lake Hartwell in time for the Feb. 12-14 official practice period. “Being a new Elite pro, I’ve had a lot to do and it’s been tough to get it all done. Everything’s been a learning experience.”
He described his wrap design as black and blue with a large Longshank logo. He said the “L” in Longshank underscores the word, then bends like a hook up and around the final letter.
The Longshank is a spinnerbait made by Southern Outdoors America, a Nashville, Tenn., lure maker whose president, Scott Smith, is a regular contender in the Bassmaster Open circuit.
Fuller said his new sponsors also include Berkley and its sister brands, such as Abu Garcia and Trilene; Omega jigs; and Bandit Lures.

WBT ANGLERS WINNING SPONSORSHIPS. More and more sponsors are signing anglers who are regulars on the Women’s Bassmaster Tour presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors.
The third season of the WBT begins in April, but many of the pros will make their first appearances of the year for sponsors Feb. 22-24 at the 2008 Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo at the Carolina First Center in Greenville, S.C.
One such pro is Michelle Armstrong of Denver, N.C., who will be at the Legend Boats booth representing her new sponsor. Another is one-time WBT winner Laura Gober of Pendergrass, Ga. She plans to be at the Tru-Tungsten booth to help her 2008 wrap sponsor promote new products.
The Classic Outdoors Expo is part of the Feb. 22-24 Bassmaster Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell. The same week, the Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship will take place on nearby Lake Keowee.

YAMAHA INTRODUCES NEW MODEL. Yamaha, recently introduced as a premier sponsor of the Bassmaster Classic as well as the official engine sponsor of BASS and the Bassmaster Elite Series, will feature its F225 “Sports Model” during the event.
Mark Davis is one of the Yamaha-sponsored pro anglers who will use the new F225 during the 2008 season. Though the F225 was designed primarily for use on pontoons, fish’n’skis and other boats with 20-inch transoms, the idea of a quiet, clean, four-stroke outboard resounds with professional anglers.
“I’ve been away from BASS and my return to this tournament circuit coincided nicely with Yamaha’s return as a sponsor,” Davis said. “The fact that Yamaha is a BASS sponsor really makes me feel at home and I think this is great news from the company. This means more opportunity to once again show the world the exceptional outboards and engineering associated with the Yamaha brand.”
Thanks to bassresource.com for this.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats with the Treasure Coast Fishing Report.

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY

Capt. Terry Parsons of Wabasso Tackle said action along the Wabasso Causeway included Spanish mackerel, pompano, sheepshead, drum and seatrout. In the Indian River Lagoon, there are small trout, plenty of jacks and ladyfish, a few snook around the docks and mangroves and a few pompano and bluefish. In the Sebastian Inlet, bluefish are being caught on the outgoing tide. Snook are biting live shrimp and plugs, there are oversized redfish, scattered sheepshead, drum and sand perch. Whiting, pompano and bluefish are in the surf.

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

The Fishing Center of St. Lucie’s Brennan Smith said a group of anglers that went out Thursday caught a good batch of dolphin in 200 feet of water southeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet. Trolling naked ballyhoo, they caught nearly 30 fish with several in the 20-25 pound range and one over 30 pounds. In the river, Smith said there are redfish along the west side north of Midway Road. Pitch to docks and look for tailing fish. Smith also said don’t be surprised to catch a grouper pitching to docks. He landed a 26-incher last week.

MARTIN COUNTY

Capt. Greg Scherer of Bridge Tender Guide Service out of Billy Bones Bait and Tackle in Port St. Lucie called in to report results from a morning snook hunting outing. His anglers caught and released three short snook, missed a few larger fish and had a 40-incher tail-walk on the surface and spit the hook on a live mullet used as bait. Live shrimp and Storm swim baits worked well to get bites, but Scherer said the action was a little slower than he anticipated on the morning outgoing tide.

‘LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Speck fishing has everyone fired up at the lake. Anglers will be scattered in all the usual spots tonight aboard pontoon boats rigged with generators and all the comforts of home as they jig for the tasty little fish. Some of the crowds will be in Harney pond Canal, Indian Prairie Canal, Kissimmee River from the mouth to the locks and in Pelican Bay near Pahokee. Bass fishing has been steady as the bass are getting ready to bed with a new moon coming Wednesday.
Thanks to outdoors editor Ed Killer at tcpalm.com for this.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi Gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats on fishing on your pontoon boat, can be both a relaxing and fun experience. Fishing from a pontoon boat can much more enjoyable than fishing on other smaller vessels. While fishing on a pontoon boat, you are often free from worries regarding the sturdiness of your vessel, or tipping the boat over while leaning in for larger catches.

Fishing on your pontoon boat is also often much more comfortable than fishing in smaller vessels. In between catches you can relax on the deck of your pontoon boat, or go cook a few filets on the on board grill.

When you fish on your pontoon boat, you can often go out fishing for the entire day, without leaving behind the small

luxuries of home, such as a refrigerator to keep your lunch, and chilled drinks, and a stove to do some minor cooking, or to cook up a catch later in the day. You can even outfit your pontoon boat with a small restroom, making it so you have no need to go back to shore until your fishing journey is complete.

The size of a pontoon boat is also ideal for group fishing outings. With a pontoon boat several people can fish off of different sides of the boat without fear of their lines becoming entangled, or interfering with each other’s fishing. Fishing with others on a pontoon boat can also help spread out the area in which you are

fishing, and help make your entire fishing experience more enjoyable.

It is also easy to fish while on a pontoon boat with others who wish to engage in other activities about on the boat. Pontoon boats are often separated into several different sections, so that a section can be devoted solely to fishing, while another section be reserved for others to play games, dine, or participate in other activities away from where the fishing is occurring.

If you use your pontoon boat as a fishing vessel frequently you may want to outfit the boats with accessories, catered to your fishing style. You can purchase special holders for your fishing rod to attach to your favorite space, as well as a

variety of other accessories to accent your pontoon boat and enhance your fishing experience such as custom seats. No matter what your style, a pontoon boat can help turn a day of fishing into a spectacular experience.
Thanks to bassfishing6.megabassfishing.com for this.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi gang, Rick here again from Bayliner Boats with news up the this weekend’s 24th annual Boat, RV and Camper Dealers’ Sale in Tupelo.

Dealers said people, however, were looking more than buying, and the uncertain political and economic future has people scared.

Bill Morgan, president of Mississippi Marine and Outdoors Inc. in Tupelo, said people started coming back to the sale Saturday after the poor weather conditions kept prospective buyers aware Friday night. The sale is being held at the Tupelo Furniture Market Building 1 and continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

“We have as many people as we can wait on today,” Morgan said. “There’s not many buyers; there’s a few people interested in buying. Hopefully, it will pick up and finish up the sales.”

Morgan was optimistic after having a profitable 2007. “I had a very good year last year,” he said. “The industry’s been in a slump, but I haven’t. I closed 2007 up, but it was because of my first half of the year.”

This year will be different, he said. “We’re cautiously looking at 2008. We’ve got a horrible thing called a presidential election, which makes people uncomfortable. Of course, they don’t know what the next year is going to bring.

“We were dealt a very bad hand this year,” he said, “because we’ve had a two-year presidential campaign. In their greed to become the president, they have scared the population. That disposable income may be disposed for you.”

Ready for fishing season, Customers were getting ready for the warmer weather, however. “You see a lot of people buying fishing poles back there,” Morgan said. “Deer season closed last Wednesday for guns, and their brains switched to fish. They are excited about fishing.”

Mississippi Marine sells G3, War Eagle and Crownline boats, Arctic Cat all-terrain vehicles and Sea Doo personal watercrafts. Morgan said he was glad to see boat owners return to see the newer models.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I’m seeing a lot of my customers who have bought from me before, and they are saying they are really enjoying their boats. It’s fun.”

Bo Mitchell, service manager for Midway Marine in Fulton, said boat buying usually gets better after the boat show.

“We sold 28 boats last year in the month of February after the boat sale,” he said. “It kinda slows down in December and January, but it always picks up about February.”

Midway Marine carries Tracker boats, the nation’s top-selling boat through its affiliation with Bass Pro Shops. Mitchell said local fishermen have certain features that they need.

“Tracker has lifetime warranty on the hulls,” he said, “and that appeals to a lot of people, especially the places they have to run.” The three best-selling models at Midway Marine are the aluminum crappie boats.

“They used to have those big glass boats, and now it’s getting to where you can’t take those glass boats where you can these aluminum boats,” he said. “Grenada is one of the top crappie places, and it’s just about dried up now. So you need these aluminum boats to get back into fishing places.”

Mitchell said some anglers have switched to the really large boats - pontoons - for crappie fishing. “It’s good for kids too because you can get out there and fish,” he said. “And you don’t have to worry about them getting up on the boat and falling out.”

Average fishermen, Tommy Thompson of Sherm’s Marine Service in Amory, said he has had a boat display at the show every year. As a Polar Kraft dealer, Thompson said he targets the average Northeast Mississippi angler.

“People who are just going fishing are going to buy one of these,” he said. “People in the tournaments are going to buy the big boats with the 150 hp motors.”

Thompson said the line allows versatility. “Polarcraft offers 12 different models, so there’s a boat that pretty much fits the bill for what people are looking for.”

One model includes stick steering, where the throttle is positioned in the boat’s bow for easier one-person angling.

“If you’re fishing, you can’t beat a stick steer,” he said. “If you fish by yourself, you can’t beat a stick steer. You fish from the trolling motor or the big motor, and you never have to get up.”

Other models include a console. “For people who like to ride a lot, there’s a steering wheel,” Thompson said.

Most boat dealers and salesmen see Northeast Mississippi anglers are just pure fishermen. Michael Redfearn, a sales representative for Bass Cat boats, said the Tupelo show is his fourth one this year.

“It’s always a good show here,” he said. “To me it’s got the atmosphere when you’ve got the recreational vehicles and the boats so it makes a good package. It’s a real outdoors deal.”

For Redfearn, this area means fishing. “When you get out into the rural areas away from the big cities, that’s where our base is, the guys who really fish. That’s where you find them,” Redfearn said. “It makes us feel good when we roll into these areas where fishing is really done.”
Thanks to outdoors writer Buster Wolfe, djournal.com.

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Hi gang, Rick from Bayliner Boats. This is a great article we come across about catching ocean prawns or crabs. I found it very interesting and I’m sure you will too.

If you are a boater, in particular a sea or ocean-going boater, you have probably tried your hand at catching prawns and/or crabs with their respective pots. And if you have tried this, then you know how many traps or pots you have lost over the years! But it is so rewarding when the traps come up with our dinner, that we try it again, over and over every year.

This is the story of our weekend boating trip and yet another lost prawn trap. My husband and I have been boating for several years with friends on their Bayliner boat on the west coast and enjoy our excursions through the San Juan Islands in Washington state and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia. Crabbing and prawn trapping is very popular among both pleasure boaters and commercial fisherman in these areas.

Our friend Jan had just had another birthday and her husband Hank decided to buy her something that they could both enjoy. You guessed it, a prawn trap. Out they went at the first opportunity early one morning in July and dropped their prawn trap over the side of their Bayliner. The attached float was clearly visible to other boaters and had their name and boat registration number painted on the side. As the day progressed, they decided it was time to check the prawn trap for booty. Dreaming of the delectable dinner that awaited them, they took off in their dinghy to check the trap. Around and around they went looking for their trap, but it was not to be found. They took their bearings from the land and were sure that they were in the correct spot, but no such luck. Once again, yet another prawn trap had disappeared. Back to their yacht and a dinner of pork and beans.

The next morning they weighed anchor and started off for the next day’s location, looking as they went for the missing prawn trap. It was becoming obvious to them, that it was gone.

The following weekend, my husband and I were invited on board their yacht for the weekend. It was a beautiful weekend as we headed out across the straits towards the islands where we intended to drop anchor and spend the night on the hook in a secluded cove. The weather was sunny and warm and the winds very calm. We spent the night and enjoyed the company and conversation. Lots of laughter, especially on the topic of missing crab and prawn traps. We kidded our friends about losing another trap. “How many is that, this year?” we asked. “Too many,” they replied.

After a wonderful sleep on the water, we got up the next morning, had breakfast and decided to spend the morning at a nearby weekend market. This market is held every Saturday during the summer season, and hobby farmers and crafters come from all over the area to display and sell their wares. It really is quite fun.

Up came the boat anchor and off we went. As we motored we watched for floating logs and other traps. It wasn’t too long before Jan cried out. “The trap, the trap. There is our trap!” Sure enough as we circle back, there was the trap that had been lost the previous weekend. We came alongside the float, and slowed the motor. My husband went to the aft of the boat and began pulling in the line over the transom. It was very heavy.

He pulled and pulled. Slowly the line came up and into the boat, but no sign yet of the trap. Oh, my goodness. Did this mean that the trap was full to overflowing with prawns that had been trapped for the last seven days? If so, we were in for a very large feast that night. Pull, pull and pull some more. By this time my husband’s brow was wet with sweat, and his brand new Hugo Boss white boating shirt was getting splattered with mud and seaweed that was coming up with the line.

Finally after several minutes of pulling, he could just make out the shape of the trap. There was a large whitish-gray mass coming up with the trap. But what could it be? Was it a log? Was it a block of cement that a commercial trapper had put in? Was it a seal, trapped in the pot? It was still too far down to see clearly. He pulled some more. As it was getting closer and within reach, the line snapped from the strain. My husband was thrown back towards the other side of the boat and the mud went flying everywhere!

It was lost! The trap and its contents, whatever they might have been, were gone. Our mouths stopped watering. There would be no prawns for dinner once again. We’ve puzzled over this one for a long time. What was in that trap that made it so heavy? I guess we will never know.

And our friends, Jan and Hank, have purchased and lost several more traps since this experience. They tell us that they have enjoyed many dinners on their Bayliner complements of their traps, but they never seem to catch anything when we are out with them. Strange coincidence or not?! Maybe it is just one of those fishing stories!

Thanks to Valerie Giles for this. Valerie owns and operates Boats, Anchors and More http://www.boats-anchors-and-more.com a boating resource site featuring boat accessories, boat chartering, new & used boats, fishing lure manufacturers, inflatable boats, outerwear, thermal underwear & sunglasses. Everything you need for the boating season.

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Hi gang, Rick here from Used Pontoon Boats. The River City Hunting and Fishing expo probably wouldn’t be the same if Bass Pro Shops didn’t have a booth there. Located just across the street, workers won’t have to travel far for the expo.

“Bass Pro Shops is looking forward to being a part of the River City Hunting, Fishing, RV & Boat Expo. An event like the expo is a great opportunity for people to get involved and to learn more about all the great activities that can be done in the outdoors,” said Carrie Kitt, promotions manager at Bass Pro.

The shop will have a booth in the convention center and merchandise will be available for purchase, along with product demos. “There will be a lot of stuff we carry in the store, with special sale prices on shirts and hats,” said Kitt. In the arena, Bass Pro Shops will have boats from its Tracker Boat Center on display.

“Our boats will be showcased in the arena showcasing new 2008s and new models,” said Kitt. The Tracker Boat Center offers Sun Tracker, the nation’s number one selling pontoon boat; the Nitro; the Tahoe; the Mako; the Kenner; the Seacraft; and the Myacht. One or more of those models will be displayed in the arena at the Mid-America Center.

Bass Pro Shops pro staffers Mike Langford and Dave McCoy will present three seminars throughout the Expo. Langford and McCoy seminars topics include: Midwest Bass Fishing, New Products for 2008 and Spring Fishing Tactics.

Anyone who visits the Bass Pro Shops booth will have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a free XPS Grill or a Pond Prowler. Bass Pro Shops opened at 2901 Bass Pro Drive in November 2005. It houses Islamorada Fish Company and Starbucks.

Kitt hopes that the expo will both attract lots of people to their booth and bring in more customers to the store. “Hopefully, we’ll see some new traffic,” she said.
In addition, she said the expo itself provides a great opportunity for outdoor people.

Bass Pro Shops is the world’s leading supplier of premium outdoor gear.
For more information on Bass Pro Shops, call (712) 325-6000 or go online to http://www.basspro.com/.
Thanks to Heather Alexander, Staff Writer SouthwestIowaNews.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi Gang, Rick here again at Used Pontoon Boats. Fisherman gearing up for another exremely competitive Bassmaster fishing tournament. Home Waters, Home fans. Nights at home instead of a hotel. Home pressure? Not really, according to one of the Putnam County professional anglers fishing this week’s Bassmaster Southern Open.

“Terry (Scroggins) and I have fished for $500,000 before. That’s pressure,” said Palatka’s Preston Clark on the phone Wednesday night, hours before he arose for Thursday’s first round. “This is one of the more relaxing tournaments for us.

“I want to do well and we’re going to fish as hard as we can. I’ll have a lot of family and friends there, as Terry will. We’ll fish as hard as we did when we were fishing for $500,000.”

Top prize this week is a good bit less — $45,000 in cash and merchandise — but the competition is just as keen. Most of the country’s top bass fishermen are on hand, here from as far away as California and New England.

Clark couldn’t help feeling a little hometown pride during the anglers’ pre-tournament meeting Wednesday night. “We fish all over the country and at every meeting, we have a local government group welcome us here. It’s usually the same-old, same-old. Usually one of them tells the joke about fishing with dynamite,” he said. “Mayor (Karl) Flagg and (county commissioner) Chip Laibl were both short and sweet and they were both interesting. It makes us proud.”

Clark was up at 4:30 Thursday morning, as is typical on tournament days. He’ll adjust the time if his boat is to be out particularly early or late, but Thursday Clark was No. 99 in a field of 200 boats. The launch order is to be flipped today, meaning he’ll be No. 101 — again right in the middle.

“First place I head (after a shower and coffee) is straight to the gas station, gas up my boat and get cold drinks and water and ice them down,” Clark said. “I’ll pick up my co-angler at 6 at the Quality Inn and get him situated.”

Then it’s down to the City Dock to get in position to launch at safe light — around 7 a.m. this time of year. It takes about 45 minutes for the entire field to get away. The time to report for weigh-in is staggered in the order in which the boats left, giving the anglers the same amount of time on the water.

It is under unsettled weather such as that of recent days that the locals have an advantage.
“I know where not to waste time looking for fish,” Clark said. “From Lake George to Green Cove, I’ve got about 19 spots. I’m going to hit every one of those spots unless I’ve got a good bag of fish and I don’t want to use the others up.”

This is where Clark had to make the biggest adjustment from amateur angler fishing one-day tournaments to professional working in a three-day event. The idea is to bring in a respectable stringer every day rather than wear out all of one’s “hot spots” in a scramble for first. It is somewhat like the transition a sprinter makes to long-distance running.

“(In) a three-day tournament, you’ve got to manage your fish. You don’t go try to catch everything you can in one day,” Clark said. “Most of the time, the guy who has a solid stringer every day is the one who will win.”

One of the most important adjustments to be made for the weather is dressing for the conditions. “You have to stay dry,” Clark said. “You can’t go out there in a $5 rain suit. If you get wet, you get cold and lose your concentration.”

Windy weather muddies the waters, changing fish patterns. “They’re right on the edge of spawning. Last week, they were just up for a day. We need good weather,” Clark said. “We’ve got more grass in Lake George and Crescent Lake than I can remember. The lakes are so healthy. The rivers are so healthy. Somewhere out there, there’s a 100-yard stretch where you could win the tournament.”

Nevertheless, he calls the St. Johns “a difficult river to fish.” Lunch? Not really, even though Clark is out on the water a good eight hours. “Usually all I bring is a Snickers bar and a Mountain Dew, but my wife’s been on me to eat better,” Clark said. OK for one’s own tank to run empty, but a day seldom goes by without having to refuel the boat.

There’s nothing wrong with heading to the scales a little early if one is comfortable with the day’s catch. Or if an angler is concerned a fish may die before it is released, it’s permissible to come in early in time for the fish to be released alive, thereby avoiding a penalty.

“There’s a chemical we use in the live well that turns the water to a different color and puts the slime coat back on the fish. Where you touched it, there’s no slime and that’s where bacteria can set in,” Clark said. “It also calms the fish down.” Tournament organizers use something like it in the giant containers in which fish are kept until returned to the waters in two giant pontoon boats.

The end of the tournament day n unless it is the final day n begins the process of getting ready for the next. After dropping off the partner, Job One is to recharge the trolling motor. “Most of the boats now have four batteries n one for cranking your big motor and three for the trolling motor,” Clark said. “Then you organize your tackle for the next day. I might start the day with three rods and finish with 20. It takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Finally, it’s supper, maybe a little TV (or a phone conversation with a reporter) and it’s off to bed.

It’s been said that a bad day of fishing beats a good day at the office. Hard to say whether that applies to those whose business day is out on the water, though Thursday was pretty good for Clark, who stands in third place. This much is certain: It’s a full day.
Thanks to Andy Hall, sports editor of the Palatka Daily News for this.

Used Pontoon Boats, By Rick Ostler
Used Pontoon Boats-North American Waterway

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Hi gang, Rick here at Bayliner Boats. The Bass Pro Boat Show continues at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, 100 Bass Pro Drive, Bossier City. For Bruce Brown and Bobby Dugas it was just another day at the office.

The two men are freshwater and saltwater fishing and boating representatives for Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine boats.

Both were at the Bass Pro Boat Show on Saturday to promote boating. The show, which began on Friday, will run through Jan. 20. Today, the boat show will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The show attracted hundreds of lookee-loos to Bossier City’s Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World along with many buyers. Tracker Marine displayed all its new 2008 products including fishing, ski, pontoon and cruising boats.

“We’re just out having fun,” said Linda Bankston, who was there with her daughter, Azlynn Bankston and friend Johnny Owens.

“We’ve sold a lot of boats today,” said Maggie Frantz, Tracker sales representative.

Boats at the show went from about $5,000 to as high as $50,000. Many people took advantage of the show special of 10 percent off.

Incentives include free trips for buyers, according to Tracker Marine’s Jarrod Bishop.

But, what really are the best boats to buy?

“A 24-foot Mako or a Tracker Nitro,” Brown and Dugas said.

Aside from lots of boats, Saturday’s day of the show included a visit from Curly Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters who signed autographs for the enthralled crowd. The Shreveport Power Squadron also was on hand to answer questions about boating and safety equipment.

The boat show even had a visit from Hollywood. Director and actor Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Baby Boom) was among those admiring the boats at Bass Pro Shops.

The show continues today with free giveaways, free brats, free hot dogs, and free Coke both days. Thanks to Jane Bokun at shreveporttimes.com fot this.

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