Thursday, December 18, 2008
Bill would let localities impose boat fee
Bill Cochran
Recent field reports
The General Assembly doesn’t convene until January but already there is a pre-filed bill that is destined to make waves among boaters.
Senate Bill 820, sponsored by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would give counties, cities and towns authority to impose a boat registration fee. Localities already charge a property tax on boats and boat trailers.
Locke’s fee would be in addition to the state registration fee that is administered by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Money collected from that goes for boating safety, law enforcement and boating access.
Sen. Locke’s bill doesn’t specify how much the new fee would be or where the money would go. Those details would be left up to the locality.
This is another case of boaters being portrayed as fat cats with plenty of money to toss around for any cause, even those not related to boating.
The bill comes at a time when the boating business and boaters are suffering from an unfavorable economy with the potential of winter and spring boat sales being the worst in recent memory.
BILL
LOOKING AT KID’S LIFE JACKETS -- AGAIN
Recent sessions of the General Assembly have included legislation that could require children to wear a life jacket during most boating situations. In every case, the efforts have failed.
The 2009 session will include House Joint Resolution 627, which would require the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to study the need for such a regulation, and to involve the boating community and professional organizations while doing it. The measure has been pre-filed by David Poisson, D-Sterling.
The U.S. Coast Guard already has a regulation requiring children younger than 13 to wear a life jacket when not below decks or in enclosed cabins. However, much of the water in Virginia is not under federal jurisdiction and the Coast Guard law does not apply.
The resolution states a case for uniformity.
BILL
OUTDOOR BRIEFS
>>Work on the Philpott Lake Section 216 study headed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has stalled because of the lack of funds. Anglers have been hopeful that the study, in cooperation with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and volunteers, would lead to better trout habitat in the Smith River tailrace.
>>West Virginia’s fall turkey kill, which often tracks Virginia’s kill, is reported to be down 25 percent, with just 1,128 turkeys checked by hunters.
>>In their 10-year project to restore elk, Tennessee wildlife officials say they have succeeded to the point that a limited hunting season is being considered for October 2009. Elk numbers are reported to number 300 in Tennessee.
>>The 2010 edition of the $2.5- million Forrest Wood Cup bass tournament will be held in Atlanta, Aug. 5-8, according to an announcement this week. The 2009 Forrest Wood Cup previously had been set for Pittsburg.
>>Don’t want to rent a sailboat or tow one to your vacation spot? AERE has a new 3.7 Inflatable Catamaran that can be separated into three or more bags, making it easy to carry transport and store.
BILL
SALTWATER FISHING TOURNAMENT
A recent hot spot for speckled trout has been the Elizabeth River where nearly every week a hefty catch is changing the standings in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. So far 587 catch citations have been issued for speckled trout, more than for any other species. The newest leader is a 13-pound, 9-ounce trophy landed by Michael Whittaker of Chesapeake.
BLACK DRUM: 87 pounds, 3 ounces, Paul Elliott, Surry, Latimer Shoals (C-2 Buoy).
BLUEFISH: 21 pounds, 8 ounces, Charles Southall, Poquoson, Triangle Wrecks.
BLUEFIN TILEFISH: 19 pounds, 9 ounces, Sidney Long, Jr., Branchville, Norfolk Canyon.
COBIA: 94 pounds, 6 ounces, Wesley Smith, Virginia Beach, Bluefish Rock.
CROAKER: 4 pounds, 14 ounces, B.W. Wild, Virginia Beach, Lynnhaven Inlet. DOLPHIN: 66 pounds, Todd Conner, Midlothian, Norfolk Canyon.
FLOUNDER: 13 pounds, 9 ounces, Christopher Mounie, Suffolk, Third Island of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
GRAY TRIGERFISH: 5 pounds, 8 ounces, Nick Wright, Virginia Beach, inshore waters of Virginia Beach.
GRAY TROUT: 9 pounds, 8 ounces, Joseph Hudgins, Jr., Chesapeake, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (4th island).
KING MACKEREL: 62 pounds, 3 ounces, James McDonald, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge Pier.
KINGFISH: 2 pounds, 10 ounces, Kenneth Godsey, Norfolk, Sandbridge Pier.
POMPANO: 2 pounds, 8 ounces, Ron Pennington, Annandale, Kiptopeak Pier.
SEA BASS: 7 pounds, 8 ounces, Reggie Myrick, Portsmouth, wreck off Virginia Beach.
SHEEPSHEAD: 14 pounds, 5 ounces, Kay Alley, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. .
SPADEFISH: 14 pounds, 1 ounce, Josh Durvin, Dunnsville, The Cell.
SPANISH MACKEREL: 6 pounds, Alfred Simpson, Virginia Beach, Sandbridge Pier.
SPECKLED TROUT: 13 pounds, 9 ounces, Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake, Elizabeth River.
SPOT: 1 pound, 8 ounces, Michael Whittaker, Chesapeake, 664 Bridge-Tunnel.
STRIPED BASS: 73 pounds, state record, Frederick Barnes, Chesapeake, off Virginia Beach.
SWORDFISH: 190 pounds, Aaron Peckham, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
TAUTOG: 20 pounds, 6 ounces, Michael Shreve, Glen Burnie, Md., Monroe Wreck.
TUNA, BLUEFIN: 226 pounds, Kim Schwallenberg, Edgewater, Md., off Wachapreague.
TUNA: 305 pounds, Rick Wyatt, Norfolk, Norfolk Canyon.
YAHOO: 69 pounds, Brian Davis, Virginia Beach, Norfolk Canyon.
MEETINGS/EVENTS/SEASONS
Bay Creek Resort Contender Cub (striped bass), Dec. 30, Cape Charles, 757-650-4509.
Matthews Rotary Rockfish Tournament, Dec. 31, dnfitch@wildblue.net.
Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout, Jan. 8-10, $100,000 in prizes, fishasa.com.
Fishing Expo, Jan. 16-18, Richmond Raceway, featured pros include Kevin Van Dam, richmondfishingexpo.com.
George Washington National Forest workshop on the forest plan, Jan. 20, 6:30-9 p.m., Augusta County Government Center, Verona.
George Washington National Forest workshop on the forest plan, Jan. 29, 6:30-9 p.m., Rockbridge County High School, Lexington.
Virginia Outdoor Sportsmen’s Classic, Roanoke Civic Center, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2009, vaoutdoorsportsmensclassic.com.
Saltwater Sportsman 2009 National Seminar Series, six hours of fishing instruction from the pros, Feb. 21, Virginia Beach Convention Center, $55, nationalseminarseries.com.
Board meeting of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to consider hunting/trapping regulations, 9 a.m., Feb. 26, DGIF headquarters, 4000 West Broad St., Richmond.
Youth spring turkey hunting day, April 4, 2009.
2009 spring gobbler season, April 11-May 16.
North Carolina State University Sport Fishing School, May 31-June 4, Hatteras, N.C., $1,445, limited to 45 participants, ncsu.edu/cpe/fishing.html.
Board meeting of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to finalize hunting/trapping regulations, 9 a.m., June 2, DGIF headquarters, 4000 West Broad St., Richmond.
Got an event? Let us know: xtrails@earthlink.net.
