Reported by: Alexandra Limon

Parts of Woodward Park in Northeast Fresno are closed because somebody dumped an unknown chemical into one of the fishing ponds. Testing is being done to determine if there is any danger to people or to any of the wildlife at the park.

On Friday evening, some people were caught off guard because they were unaware the fishing ponds were closed until further notice. Someone was seen throwing an unknown substance into the water on Thursday.

Park and Recreation representatives said a couple was seen by the lake, but they were not able to provide a description of the suspects. They got away with as many as 60 trout which they will probably eat or sell.

Officers from the Department of Fish and Game decided to test the water for safety reasons. They don’t know what was thrown into the pond that caused all those fish to die. They say ammonia or even laundry detergent would deprive the trout of oxygen and quickly kill them.

Until they know fur sure, the ponds will remain closed. The Department of Fish and Game expects to have the rest results next week. People who want to fish locally can visit the Fresno Sports Complex at 1707 W. Jensen Ave in Fresno.

Article source: CBS47.tv

The Russelville Courier reports that the Arkansas Spring bass fishing season, with it’s full slate of accompanying tournaments, is practically upon us.

“The first big weekend of the season on Lake Dardanelle is Feb. 27 as the Metro Area Bass Club hosts its annual team bass tournament out of Lake Dardanelle State Park from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The entry fee for this event is $100 per team, which includes entry into the big bass pot. For more information, interested anglers may call (501) 231-7597 or (501) 416-4668.

Usually when March arrives, the statewide tournament scene is in full gear. If you can’t find a tournament, you’re simply not looking for one. This year the first weekend of March brings the B.A.S.S. Weekend Series to town March 6, and this should bring in anglers from across the state of Arkansas as well as a few out-of-state guests. The weekend series is one of those rare opportunities for a weekend angler to have a little luck and one day end up in the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the Bassmasters Classic. For more information, visit the American Bass Anglers (ABA) Web site, www.americanbassanglers.com.”

Filed by KOSU News in US News.
February 3, 2010

Giant squid have invaded southern California, bringing both experienced and first-time fishermen to Newport Beach-area sportfishing boats. The squid can reach sizes up to 5 feet and are known as strong fighters. Several were hooked yesterday as the waters were filled with anglers in numbers not seen in a while.

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SPOONER, WI – The Lions Club in Spooner Wisconsin is holding its 2nd annual Ice Fishing Contest on Saturday, February 6, 2010. The contest will run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Spooner Lake. To register, arrive at the County Hwy H boat landing. Cash prizes are for the largest fish in five different categories, plus a separate fishing contest for children.

The contest’s entry fee will also get the anglers 6 raffle tickets for door prizes, which will be given away during the day. Prizes include a convertible top for an ATV, a portable ice shelter, and three Arctic tip-ups. (Winners need not be present to be awarded the door prizes.)

The competition will assist raising funds for the Lions’ own Scholarship Fund. The money will be awared to top Spooner High School seniors.

Tickets for the ice fishing contest can be purchased from AAA Sports, Tony’s Riverside, from any Lions Club member or on the ice on the day of the contest. During the competition, food will be available on the ice.

Snook have suffered on account of January’s unusually cold temperatures, and now some people are afraid that the fishing industry in Florida for much of the rest of the year.

Reports of massive numbers of dead fish encouraged the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end the snook fishing season until September 1, 2010, and for tarpon and bonefish until at least April.

All of these fish are sought after by recreational fishermen from out of state, and the fishing-tourist industry may now suffer for the rest of the year.

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Memorial Hall Library, Andover, MA – Fish On! Andover 2010 runs every Tuesday evening from February 2nd to February 23rd. It consists of talks by angling experts, films about fishing, door prizes, and a lot of promotional material for anyone looking for fishing tackle, publications or a local place to fish.

Schedule:

• Tuesday, February 2, 2010: Brian O’Connor has visited Ipswich’s Crane Beach for many years. He will talk about the beach’s estuaries and the beach with a spinning reel and top water plugs. Chuck Casella, past president of the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association, will speak about new requirement to get a Massachusetts saltwater fishing license.
• Tuesday, February 9, 2010: Bart Waldo narrates his tales of angling for bluefin tuna on Stellwagen Bank.
• Tueday, February 16, 2010: Joe Welch on spring and summer fishing in the Merrimack Valley, including his best spots, fishing tips and fishing gear.
• Tuesday, February 23, 2010: Marc Hamel recounts 25 years of tournament fishing and recreational bass fishing. He will talk about the benefits of joining a bass fishing club, his personal tricks, fishing responsibly and gear for anglers of any level of experience.

Fishing movies will begin at 6:00 PM and the speakers are scheduled each evening at 7:00 PM. There is no admission charge for this program. For more information about Fish On! call 978-623-8401 or visit www.mhl.org online.

San Antonio, Texas – On Monday, February 1, 2010, college anglers across the U.S. can start to register online for the 2010 Boat U.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, sponsored by Boat U.S. All registration must be finished by Saturday, May 1st, and the list of competitors will be finalized and announced on May 3rd.

The competition itself will take place between May 24th and May 29th, on the shores of Lake Lewisville (Lewisville, Texas). Mayor Dean Ueckert stated that, “Competitive angling is the fastest growing collegiate sport in the country, and we are very excited to be home to the BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship event. The teams coming here are among the best anglers anywhere and I’m sure some of them will become big names on the professional circuits one day.”

Participating teams get a travel allowance and also enjoy a complementary shopping spree. Many individual awards and prizes will be given to the top fishermen. Event sponsors of will be present to offer samples and give helpful information regarding fishing lures and other fishing gear to all participants.

The 2010 field of contestants will be limited to 150 two-person teams. More information can be found at www.CollegiateBassChampionship.com. The Collegiate Bass Championship registration page is located at http://www.collegiatebasschampionship.com/registration.html.

For anyone interested who cannot attend the championship event, the Versus network will televise the event from August to October 2010. The fishing series will also cover the Collegiate Open Team Bass Championship, the Stephen F Austin Bucketmouth Bass Tournament, the Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Series Championship and the Arkansas Tech University Invitational.

This is one of the best ice fishing shacks we’ve ever seen… is it a pre-fab, or did someone put a lot of effort into creating a custom home-away-from-home. A power generator… paneling and shutters… plenty of storage… multiple fishing holes pre-built into the floor… we applaud the design of this fishing haven.

Check it out here –> The Cool Fishing Shack

FLW Outdoors announced that it will be featured on the “Today” show on NBC, America’s top-rated news program, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009, during the 8:00 AM hour in each respective time zone. The segment will feature Team National Guard pro Justin Lucas as he took Jenna Wolfe fishing on the California Delta recently. Wolfe serves as Sunday “Today” co-anchor and a correspondent for NBC News’ weekday “Today.”

“I was very excited to get the opportunity to take Jenna fishing and show her how fun the sport is,” said Lucas. “She had never been fishing before, so I think she had a good time and learned a lot. It was a hot day making for some challenging conditions, but we had quite a bit of fun and Jenna was a great sport.”

Jenna Wolfe, who joined “Today” in August 2007, and Lucas spent the day fishing, discussing how tournament fishing has grown, how anglers prepare and practice for tournaments, the younger generation’s involvement in the sport and addressed the topic of anglers as athletes.

FLW Outdoors is named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats. It is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

One of the best methods for targeting various types of game fish is by silently drifting by on a boat. Like any other kind angling, however, there are strategies that veteran fishermen use when drift-fishing in order to increase the chances of success. Unlike some other fishing techniques, drift-fishing isn’t very difficult or hard. In fact, this technique only involves thoughtfully selecting a spot, letting out some lines, and having a little patience.

Because this type of fishing can be so easy probably keeps many from analyzing and improving the method. When drifting, the boat becomes part of your rod / reel / fishing tackle combination. The craft becomes an important piece of the technique’s success, no matter if you are Read the rest