Thursday, July 31, 2008
Striper club president resigns
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
Angie Behan has resigned as president of the Smith Mountain Striper Club. She was elected as the club’s first woman president last November and was scheduled to serve through Nov., 2009.
In a note to members, Behan said: “This year, we have raised the bar. We have cranked open a window and let some fresh air in. It is now up to you to decide how you want your club to be managed.”
Behan placed emphasis on club functions designed to introduce women to angling.
The club’s next scheduled election is in November. Ken Ulrich, vice president, is serving as interim president. Behan said she would continue to assist the club’s newsletter editor, Cindy Turlington, in the production of a monthly club publication that has received widespread praise.
Behan was highlighted in a July 17 Cochran Column titled “New striper club president asks: why should guys have all the fun.”
BILL
TARPON ACTIVE IN VIRGINIA
You generally can count the number of tarpon caught and released in Virginia on the fingers of two hands, but that my not be the case this summer. An early count reveals at least eight tarpon catches, and the season is young.
Capt. Keith Cole of Virginia Beach reported landing a 78-inch tarpon that crashed his bait off False Cape.
Most of the Virginia tarpon are caught on the seaside of the Eastern Shore, which is considered the northern edge of the fish’s summer migration. That is where Jack Brady of Oyster caught one recently. He is one of the few tarpon guides in Virginia (757-331-2111).
Only four tarpon were registered with the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament last season. In 2006 there were 11; 2005, 10; 2004, 6 and 2003, 19.
BILL
FEDERAL DATABASE MAY END BOAT LICENSE
I like the idea that you can buy a saltwater fishing license for your boat and everyone aboard the craft is covered. Virginia also has a pier license which exempts pier anglers from having to purchase a license as long as the pier operator has a blanket one.
These licenses could be in jeopardy as the NOAA Fisheries Service seeks to create a national database of saltwater anglers beginning next year. The effort will require that all anglers be registered. There will be no charge in the beginning, but that is expected to change later on.
According to early information, anglers in states like Virginia that have a saltwater fishing license can be exempt from registering if their state’s license system meets certain guidelines. It appears the blanket license for piers and boats may not meet those guidelines and these licenses may have to be discontinued.
The Virginia Marine Resources Commission has been discussing the issue.
BILL
CONCERN EXPRESSED OVER GYPSY MOTHS
Scott Hanson is concerned that the gypsy moth infestation is going to wipe out the acorn crop in some areas of Virginia and this will be harmful to the turkey population.
“I am troubled by what I perceive to be a lack of urgency in respect to this issue at both the federal, but especially, the state level,” said Hanson, who lives in Lexington. He pointed to current infestations on Potts and Peterson Mountains in Virginia’s Craig and Giles counties and West Virginia’s Monroe County.
“Since 1984, the gypsy moth has defoliated 4.5 million acres in the state,” Hanson said. Hot weather in May offered ideal conditions for this destructive insect, he said.
“Federal funding for the suppression programs is shamefully small,” Hanson said. Some $830,000 was proposed for Virginia for the 2008 spraying season, but only $230,000 was allocated,” said Hanson, who received data from Congressman Bob Goodlatte’s office.
“There was no state funding,” said Hanson. “Approximately 25,000 acres were sprayed in our suppression effort. To put this into prospective, Pennsylvania sprayed 221,000 acres.”
Hanson has been underscoring the problem to forestry officials and the media.
BILL
ITEMS THAT CHANGED FISHING
At the recent 75th ICAST Show in Las Vegas, several thousand avid anglers were asked to list the items they felt were most instrumental in shaping the sport of fishing since the origin of the show. Here are the top choices:
ORIGINAL FLOATER MINNOW (1936): This remains one of the most successful and widely copied hard lures in sport fishing history. The original and current manufacturer is Rapala.
SPRING LOADED BOBBER (1947): This made suspending a baited hook at a desired depth simpler and easier. First manufacturer was Nibble Nabber
MITCHELL 300 (1949): The first commercially successful spinning reel, still popular today.
CRÈME PLASTIC WORM (1949): The artificial worm that looked and felt real, and started the soft plastic bait trend that changed fishing forever.
CLOSED FACE SPINCAST REEL (1949): Made fishing easy and affordable, especially for kids and casual anglers. Brought out by Zero Hour Bomb Co., better known as Zebco.
LOWRANCE FISH LO-K-TOR (1957): The “Little Green Box” that used sonar to locate fish and structure, and establish the water depth.
MONOFILAMENT LINE (1958): Improved the durability, affordability and casting ability of fishing line while reducing its visibility to fish. DuPont Stren was the original manufacturer.
MINN KOTA TROLLING MOTOR (1958): First electric gear-driven trolling motor that gave anglers the ability to quickly and quietly maneuver their boat.
FENWICK HIGH MODULUS GRAPHITE ROD (1972): Revolutionized the making of fishing rods with super-sensitive carbon (graphite) fibers.
SHAKESPEARE UGLY STICK (1976): Special construction that created an affordable, unbreakable fishing rod that remains popular today.
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>A leak in Lake Thompson, a 10-acre Department of Game and Inland Fisheries impoundment in Fauquier County, has officials transferring smallmouth bass to the Front Royal Fish Hatchery where they will be used as brood fish. The water level has been dropping 6 inches per day.
>>New York became the 27th state to reduce barriers for new hunters. The state lowered the age for mentored big game hunting from 16 to 14 with the July passage of the New York Junior Hunting Bill. Earlier this year, Virginia approved an apprentice hunting license, which has been on sale this week.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
A huge 53-pound, 2-ounce king mackerel taken off Sandbridge Pier is a new leader in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Here are the standings:
BLACK DRUM: 87 pounds, 3 ounces, Paul Elliott, Surry, Latimer Shoals (C-2 Buoy).
BLUEFISH: 19 pounds, 4 ounces, Richard Brown, Richmond, off Virginia Beach.
BLUEFIN TILEFISH: 18 pounds, 14 ounces, Chris Boyce, Hampton, Norfolk Canyon.
COBIA: 90 pounds, 10 ounces, Charles Thain, Birdsnest, Inner Middle Ground, C-13.
CROAKER: 4 pounds, Glen Ford, Newport News, James River.
DOLPHIN: 58 pounds, 6 ounces, Burt Whitt, Norfolk, Cigar.
FLOUNDER: 11 pounds, Rudolph Levasseur, Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TRIGERFISH: 4 pounds, 2 ounces, Adam Lyons, Chesapeake, Seagull Pier on Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Joseph Hudgins, Jr., Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (4th island).
KING MACKEREL, 53 pounds, 2 ounces, Anthony Hayden, Portsmouth, Sandbridge Pier.
KINGFISH: 2 pounds, 3 ounces, Bill Pope, Norfolk, Sandbridge surf.
SEA BASS: 7 pounds, 8 ounces, Reggie Myrick, Portsmouth, off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPSHEAD: 13 pounds, 15 ounces, Andrew McDougald, Raleigh, N.C., Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. .
SPADEFISH: 13 pounds, 15 ounces, Donald Knight, Chesterfield, Wolf Trap Light.
SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, Alfred Simpson, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge pier.
SPECKLED TROUT: 9 pounds, 15 ounces, David Hester, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
STRIPED BASS: 73 pounds, state record, Frederick Barnes, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.
TAUTOG: 20 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Shreve, Glen Burnie, Md., Monroe Wreck.
TUNA, BLUEFIN: 226 pounds, Kim Schwallenberg, Edgewater, Md., off Wachapreague.
TUNA: 89 pounds, Troy Holtry, Newburg, Pa., 20 Fathom Finger.
WAHOO: 68 pounds, Ron Fair, Cheriton, off Wachapreague.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Smith Mountain Striper Club meeting, 7 p.m., Aug. 1, Moneta Center, presentation by Ken Mitchell, manager of the Brookneal striper hatchery.
Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show, Aug. 8-10, ShowPlace, 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, features Larry Weishuhn, the NRA trophy deer display and nearly 300 exhibitors. Adult tickets $10 per day or $15 for the weekend, kids under 15 can enter free with a paying adult. Information from sportsmanshow.com.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Aug. 17, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from Triangle Archers 3D tournament, June 22, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Eastern Regional Big Game Championship, Sept. 13 and 14, Southampton County Fairgrounds, Franklin, sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association, more information from Kenneth Pickin, P.O. Box 1860, Williamsburg, Va. 23187-1860; 757-229-0490. This is the contest for deer, bear and turkey killed east of the Blue Ridge. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Triangle Archer’s 3D tournament, Sept 14, Blacksburg, fee $12 or $25 per family, information from James Overfelt.
Third annual WSLS 10 Hunters for the Hungry banquet, 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, Salem, tickets $20 singles; $35 couples, kids 12 and under free, to benefit the organization’s feed-the-needy program, tickets from Jeff Fletcher, 540-985-6523 or Fred and Phyllis Wells, 540-992-3874 or may be purchased at Dave Sarmadi Mitsubishi, additional information from hunt4hungry@cs.com.
Western Regional and State Big Game Championship, for deer, bear and turkey killed west of the Blue Ridge or advanced from the Eastern Championship, Sept. 27 & 28, Rockingham County Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg, more information from Jon Ritenour, 2041 Spaders Church Road, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801, 540-434-8028. Additional information from vpsa.org.
Fall Optimist Club of Cave Springs Fishing Tournament, Oct. 3-5, Smith Mountain Lake.
Saltwater striped bass tournament opens Oct. 4.
Roanoke Valley Friends of NRA banquet, Oct. 18.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
