The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF), facing decreasing license sales and a budget shortfall forecast for fiscal year 2014, has proposed an increase in hunting and fishing license fees that could take affect in July. The proposals include an increase of up to $5 per license for in-state residents and asContinue reading "Virginia Hunting, fishing license hikes proposed"

  Friday morning, local biologists returned a rehabilitated harbor seal to the Chesapeake Bay. The seal, named "Puddy," was underweight and had shark bites on the left side of his body. Someone found him stranded south of the Little Island Fishing Pier in Sandbridge last month. Biologists took him to the Virginia Aquarium's Marine AnimalContinue reading "Biologists to return seal to the Chesapeake Bay"

  Commercial fishermen trawling off of the Outer Banks of North Carolina are slaughtering thousands of striped bass in “culling” operations and tossing them overboard trying to keep larger stripers and remain under their 50 fish limit. Both recreational anglers and smaller operation commercial fishermen have been aghast at the actions of the trawlers whoContinue reading "Commercial trawlers slaughtering thousands of striped bass off the Outer Banks"

  Much to his dismay, Michael Wardman of Colonial Beach recently discovered that oyster gardening is illegal in the Potomac River. "I can't believe it. I've talked about it with a lot of people in Maryland and Virginia and they can't believe it either," Wardman said. Both states encourage oyster gardening in their Chesapeake BayContinue reading "Fredericksburg.com – Panel says no oyster farming – page 1 FLS"

  The Coast Guard cited several fishing boats off the North Carolina coast Friday for violating laws concerning striped bass, including one vessel that was in possession of 58 illegal stripers. The Norfolk, Virginia based Coast Guard cutter Beluga stopped and boarded the fishing boats during its patrol of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). FishingContinue reading "Coast guard cracks down on illegal striped bass fishing"

  From its auspicious beginning as a combination gas station, general store, post office and tackle shop to a renowned sporting goods store, Anglers Sport Center has been a long-time fixture to the local community and for travelers on their way to Sandy Point State Park and the Eastern Shore. I recently sat down withContinue reading "Our Bay: Anglers Sport Center celebrates 50 years • Environment (www.HometownAnnapolis.com – The Capital)"

  North Carolina is halting the commercial and recreational harvesting of speckled trout to protect stocks of the fish. The state Division of Marine Fisheries will institute an indefinite halt to fishing for the trout starting at noon on Friday. Marine Fisheries Commission Chairman Rob Bizzell says the decision comes after "cold stun" events inContinue reading "Cold leads NC to halt harvest of speckled trout"

  An agreement to build a boat launch in Hansville is on hold after Kitsap sports fisherman objected to a change in its design. The fishermen were upset because the change — made without public input or notification — would prevent most of them from launching their boats there. As a result of their concerns,Continue reading "Point No Point Boat Launch Put on Hold After Sport Fishermen Object »"

  On January 5, 2011 at 11:30 a.m., the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Daniel Leroy Dierker, 32 of Rock Hall, Md. with engaging in the striped bass gill net fisheries while his commercial license was suspended. Dierker was operating a commercial fishing vessel that was gill netting for striped bass in the areaContinue reading "MD Natural Resource Police Blotter"

  The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is creating a registry of saltwater anglers. The Virginia Fisherman Identification Program requires anglers who are exempt from buying a saltwater fishing license to register and supply their contact information annually. Anglers who do purchase a saltwater fishing license will be registered automatically. With the creation of the stateContinue reading "Va launches saltwater-fishing ID program"

The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series, the nation's longest-running and most popular course on recreational marine angling tactics and techniques, will take place at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Saturday, January 22, 2011. This is the 24th year of the seminar tour, which teaches a vast array of cutting-edge and pertinent information onContinue reading "The Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series, the nation’s longest-running and most popular course on recreational marine angling tactics and techniques, will take place at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Saturday, January 22, 2011."

  Overall, 73 percent of anglers felt fishing had gotten worse or much worse over the last five years and 46 percent felt the average size of stripers has decreased. The complete survey results are available on the Stripers Forever website. Stripers Forever wants commercial striped bass fishing banned, arguing recreational use is more beneficialContinue reading "Stripers Forever survey: Bad year for anglers, fish –"

  Baltimore - The Maryland Department of the Environment is investigating the deaths of tens of thousands of small fish that have died in the Chesapeake Bay in the past week.   "An estimated 2 million fish have been reported dead from the Bay Bridge south to Tangier Sound, according to the Maryland Department ofContinue reading "Massive fish kill reported in Chesapeake Bay"

  Bad actors among recreational anglers will soon be subject to tough penalties similar to the ones put in place by the state to punish rogue watermen. The penalty schedule, designed after consulting with the recreational and commercial fishing communities, law enforcement officers and charter boat captains, would allow the Department of Natural Resources toContinue reading "Proposed regs will slap down recreational fish bandits –"

  The Coast Guard and partner agencies are intensifying efforts to stop the illegal poaching of striped bass off the Atlantic coast this winter season. To help ensure the health of the striped bass population, the Coast Guard is working to raise awareness of the federal regulations governing striped bass and to increase enforcement effortsContinue reading "Agencies shore up efforts on poaching | striped, bass, coast – News –"

  Two changes take effect Saturday for fishermen participating in the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Saltwater Fishing Tournament. The tournament is not a competition but a longstanding certification program that recognizes outstanding saltwater catches. The tournament year runs from Saturday to Dec. 31. For 2011, the division will remove red snapper from the programContinue reading "NC Tournament changes take effect for 2011"

  The Coast Guard has established an Atlantic striped bass hotline to reel in poachers.As striped bass move offshore, the guard cautions anglers that the fish cannot be caught, harvested or possessed beyond 3 nautical miles. A person caught fishing for stripers in those federal waters is subject to fines starting at $100 per fish.TheContinue reading "Coast Guard establishes striped bass hotline to reel in poachers"

  Gulp lures have revolutionized the soft bait lure market, and can be deadly when used to target game fish like striped bass. Although many people know about the effectiveness of Gulp baits on speckled trout and redfish, anglers are just now learning how deadly they can be when used where stripers prowl. Here areContinue reading "Top 5 gulp lures for striped bass fishing"

  This year, the model successfully predicted a poor year even though many fishery biologists - including Martino - thought it would be good. But that predictability may contain a hint of problems on the horizon for striped bass. Although the coastwide population remains above target levels, striped bass recruitment in Maryland has been belowContinue reading "Chesapeake Bay Journal: Link between striped bass, weather suggests stormy times ahead for fish"

  Most of the work scheduled for the Rudee Inlet bridge will be performed at night until the end of the ocean striped bass season. Work to the fender piles, timber wales and hardware that protect the two center channel sets of pilings will begin in mid-January. The project is supposed to be completed byContinue reading "Work on Rudee inlet bridge set for nighttime"

  There is less than a month for anglers to catch one of the state's top angling awards. The Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament runs with the calendar year that will end Dec. 31. Following are the current standings of the tournament: Black Drum -- James W. Johnson Jr., Gloucester (90-0), Bluefish -- Ray Bryan, LowryContinue reading "Less than a month remaining to make final standings"

  It took 8 years and several agencies to unravel a network responsible for poaching millions of dollars worth of striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay December 04, 2010|By Candus Thomson, The Baltimore Sun Amy Davis, Baltimore Sun For years, crooked Maryland and Virginia watermen went to local courts and paid their fines for illegalContinue reading "An unusual task force sends message to poachers"

  I hear stories every once in a while about someone fishing and latching onto a fishing rod that another angler has dropped overboard. I just heard a story about a fisherman not only reeling in a rod, but a fish on the end of the line, too. Ted Moore sent me a message tellingContinue reading "NJ Fisherman catches not only fish, but rod"

  In its barely disguised campaign to tear a chunk from the hides of watermen under the guise of conservation, the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association is asking the governor and Department of Natural Resources officials to slash the annual commercial striped bass harvest from 42.5 percent of the state’s total take to 10 percent. TheContinue reading "Maryland’s billion-dollar recreational fishing industry–times 11"