Thursday, January 10, 2008
A raid on fishing funds
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
While some of the diverted funds would be earmarked for things that benefit fishermen, such as marine patrols, the fact is accountability to recreational anglers would be lost. License money currently is assigned to programs and projects through a special board.
Anglers who are critical say the diversion likely would continue into future budgets, and there is little chance sportsmen ever would recoup the money.
When Douglas Wilder was governor, $1.2 million was taken from Department of Game and Inland Fisheries funds. It took four years before the money was retrieved for its intended purposes, and only then through the diligent work of the late A. Victor Thomas, the veteran legislator from Roanoke.
As the General Assembly begins, sportsmen certainly could use another Vic Thomas.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>A 66-pound snowy grouper caught Dec. 9 by Chris Boyce of Hampton has established a state record for the species. It topped by 8 ounces a record set June 10 by Bob Manus of Ark. Boyce has filed an application for world record status with the International Game Fish Association. The all-tackle record currently is held by Manus.
State record 66-pound snowy grouper caught by Chris Boyce.
>>Striped bass anglers from North Carolina to Maine reported a continuing decline in the number of fish caught per hour and in the average size of those fish, according to the fifth annual membership survey conducted in 2007 by Stripers Forever. Brads Burns, president of the organization, called it “a very worrisome trend.”
>>Hunters in West Virginia killed 145,577 deer during the recent hunting seasons, according to a preliminary count. That represents a 6 percent increase over the previous season.
>>ESPN Outdoors on Jan. 13 will feature President Bush fishing for striped bass on the Chesapeake Bay out of St. Michaels, Md.
>>The Roanoke Times’ Extra Section last week promoted the Roanoke Valley Gun Show in its recommended list of places to go. Also included were the Salem Rodeo, a Robin and Linda Williams concert and a play at Mill Mountain Theatre. Strange. In October the newspaper, much to the ire of the NRA, announced that it no longer would accept advertisements from the popular gun show because some guns sold at the event do not go through licensed dealers.
>>A 56-pound, 7-ounce striped bass caught by Aaron Hofmeister of Reistertown, Md. was the overall winner of he Mercury 2007 Striped Bass World Championship headquartered in Virginia Beach.
>>Some 228 chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation located in 39 states and Canadian provinces donated 11,089 turkeys last year to the needy. This is equivalent to 66,534 meals, the federation said.
BILL
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout, Jan. 10-12, Virginia Beach, entry fee $499 per team, $100,000 guaranteed payout based on 175 teams, MidAtlanticRockfishShootout.com.
Mac Events Boat Show, Jan. 11-13, Greater Richmond Convention Center, information from MacEvents.com.
Reopening of western zone Canada goose season, Jan. 15-Feb. 15.
Virginia Boat Show, Jan. 18-20, The Showplace, Richmond, information from agievents.com.
Mid-Atlantic Boat Show, Virginia Beach Convention Center, Jan. 19-27, vaboatshow.com.
Board meeting of Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 9 a.m., Jan. 22, 4000 W. Broad St., Richmond.
Richmond Fishing Expo, Jan. 25-27, Richmond Raceway Complex, www.RICHMONDFISHINGEXPO.com.
Meeting of Smith Mountain Striper Club, Feb. 1, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center, speaker Stu Tinney on the art of the jig.
Fredericksburg Outdoor Show, Fredericksburg Expo Center, Feb. 8-10 Info@woodsandwatersmagazine.com.
Richmond Boat Show, Feb. 14-17, Richmond Raceway Complex, information from agievents.com.
Western Virginia Sport Show, Feb. 15-17, Augusta Expoland, Fisherville, westernvasportshow.com
The Greater Virginia Sports and Big Game Show, Feb. 15-17, 2008, Rockingham County Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg, vasportsshow.com.
The Virginia Outdoor Sportsmen’s Classic, Feb. 22-24, Roanoke Civic Center, vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com.
Dixie Deer Classic, Feb. 28-March 2, North Carolina State Fairgorounds, Raleigh, dixiedeerclassic.org.
National Capital Boat Show, March 7-9, Dulles Expo Center, information from agievents.com.
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, April 4, 7 p.m., Moneta Community Center, program by Dan Wilson, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologist.
Youth spring gobbler day, April 5
Spring gobbler season, April 12-May 17.
Seventh Annual David H. Horne Memorial Hunters for the Hungry Golf Tournament, May 7, Birkdale Golf Course, Richmond, contact Braxton Bell, 804-739-3010.
Twenty-fifth annual Bluefish Derby, June 13 & 14, Reedville, information from Jett’s Hardware, (804) 453-5325.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 18.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
