The annual spring trout stockings around the state will begin March 11 and continue into May. More than 80,700 rainbow trout, each 10 to 13 inches long, will be released in 48 lakes and ponds around the state. For a complete list of stocking locations, visit the Division of Wildlife website.
The daily catch limit for inland lakes is five trout.
Here's the rest of the Division of Wildlife announcement:
"Some locations will feature special, youth-only angler events on the day of the scheduled releases. Anglers age 16 and older must have an Ohio fishing license to fish the state's public waters. Once the youth-only events have concluded, all other anglers may fish.
"The 2011-2012 fishing license can be purchased now and is required on March 1. An annual resident fishing license costs $19 and is valid through Feb. 29, 2012. A one-day fishing license is available and may be purchased for $11 by residents or non-residents. The one-day license may also be redeemed for credit towards purchase of an annual fishing license.
"Ohio residents born on or before Dec. 31, 1937 may obtain a free fishing license where licenses are sold. Persons age 66 and older who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1938, and have resided in Ohio for the past six months, are eligible to purchase the reduced cost resident senior license for $10.
"Additional information about spring trout releases is available by calling toll-free 1-800-WILDLIFE. Information is also available from Division of Wildlife district offices in Akron, Athens, Columbus, Findlay, and Xenia."
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wildlife open houses March 5
The annual open houses at each of the Ohio Division of Wildlife district offices are set for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 5. These are great opportunities to meet fish and wildlife biologists and law enforcement personnel, ask questions about current regulations and coment on proposed changes in hunting and fishing regulations. If you want your voice to be heard on any of these topics, this is a great time to do it.
“Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio's professional wildlife management process is welcome,” said Vicki J. Mountz, acting chief of the Division of Wildlife. Mountz added that at each open house location, fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions.
This year’s topics include fishery management changes for the Ohio River. Season dates and bag limits of game species will be available, which will include Ohio’s most popular game animal, the white-tailed deer.
Public input gathered at these open houses will be forwarded to the division's central office in Columbus, and considered during the formulation of regulations.
For more information or directions to the open houses, visit the Division of Wildlife’s Web site at wildohio.com or call 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).
A statewide hearing on all of the proposed rules will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the Division of Wildlife’s District One office, located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus. This hearing is open to the public and input is permitted within specific time limits.
After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules during its April 6 meeting.
Open House Locations
Central Ohio - Wildlife District One Office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, (614) 644-3925
Northwest Ohio - Wildlife District Two Office, 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay, (419) 424-5000
Northeast Ohio - Wildlife District Three Office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron, (330) 644-2293
Southeast Ohio - Wildlife District Four Office, 360 E. State Street, Athens, (740) 589-9930
Southwest Ohio - Greene County Fish and Game Club, 1538 Union Road, Xenia, (937) 372-9261
“Anyone interested in providing input and participating in Ohio's professional wildlife management process is welcome,” said Vicki J. Mountz, acting chief of the Division of Wildlife. Mountz added that at each open house location, fish and wildlife biologists along with law enforcement officers will be on hand to answer questions.
This year’s topics include fishery management changes for the Ohio River. Season dates and bag limits of game species will be available, which will include Ohio’s most popular game animal, the white-tailed deer.
Public input gathered at these open houses will be forwarded to the division's central office in Columbus, and considered during the formulation of regulations.
For more information or directions to the open houses, visit the Division of Wildlife’s Web site at wildohio.com or call 1-800-WILDLIFE (945-3543).
A statewide hearing on all of the proposed rules will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the Division of Wildlife’s District One office, located at 1500 Dublin Road in Columbus. This hearing is open to the public and input is permitted within specific time limits.
After considering public input, the Ohio Wildlife Council will vote on the proposed rules during its April 6 meeting.
Open House Locations
Central Ohio - Wildlife District One Office, 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus, (614) 644-3925
Northwest Ohio - Wildlife District Two Office, 952 Lima Avenue, Findlay, (419) 424-5000
Northeast Ohio - Wildlife District Three Office, 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron, (330) 644-2293
Southeast Ohio - Wildlife District Four Office, 360 E. State Street, Athens, (740) 589-9930
Southwest Ohio - Greene County Fish and Game Club, 1538 Union Road, Xenia, (937) 372-9261
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Boating safety education classes
Since all Ohioans age 29 and younger must complete an approved boating safety education course in order to operate watercraft of more than 10 horsepower, you may want to take advantage of courses planned in March and April by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (at least if you live close enough to New Philadelphia, Tappan Lake or Pleasant Hill Lake to take advantage of them).
The cost of the MWCD courses is $5 per person and registration is handled through the MWCD main office at New Philadelphia. The three classes are:
March 22-24 – 6 to 9 p.m. each night – MWCD main office, 1319 3rd St. NW, New Philadelphia.
April 16 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Pleasant Hill Lake Park activity center – 3431 Rt. 95, Perrysville.
April 29 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and April 30 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) – Tappan Lake Park activity center – 84000 Mallarnee Rd., Deersville. Participants must attend both sessions to meet full education requirement.
For registration, contact Stacie Stein at the MWCD office by calling toll-free (877) 363-8500 Ext. 2201, or by sending a message to sstein@mwcd.org.
According to state law, all boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, must show proof that they have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course if they operate any powered watercraft great than 10 horsepower on a state waterway, including any MWCD lake. The law includes those who operate personal watercraft, rental powercraft and persons 18 years old and older who supervise youth powerboat operators.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Watercraft, the number of boating-related deaths in Ohio has declined 26 percent during the period of 2001-2010 since the law was enacted in comparison to the previous decade of 1991-2000.
The cost of the MWCD courses is $5 per person and registration is handled through the MWCD main office at New Philadelphia. The three classes are:
March 22-24 – 6 to 9 p.m. each night – MWCD main office, 1319 3rd St. NW, New Philadelphia.
April 16 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Pleasant Hill Lake Park activity center – 3431 Rt. 95, Perrysville.
April 29 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and April 30 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) – Tappan Lake Park activity center – 84000 Mallarnee Rd., Deersville. Participants must attend both sessions to meet full education requirement.
For registration, contact Stacie Stein at the MWCD office by calling toll-free (877) 363-8500 Ext. 2201, or by sending a message to sstein@mwcd.org.
According to state law, all boaters born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, must show proof that they have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course if they operate any powered watercraft great than 10 horsepower on a state waterway, including any MWCD lake. The law includes those who operate personal watercraft, rental powercraft and persons 18 years old and older who supervise youth powerboat operators.
According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Watercraft, the number of boating-related deaths in Ohio has declined 26 percent during the period of 2001-2010 since the law was enacted in comparison to the previous decade of 1991-2000.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Van Dam wins again
Kevin Van Dam is amazing. This weekend, he not only won the Bassmasters Classic for the second straight year and fourth time overall, he made it look easy with a winning margin of more than 10 pounds.
And he didn't do it by finding some obscure hole where he fished by himself for three days, he was in the same pocket, often within casting range, of his closest competitors. And what he was using - spinnerbaits and then crankbaits - was no secret. He just plain outfished them.
I especially enjoyed the fact that he won with only a short run from the launch ramp, while others ran something like 150 miles to where they thought they would catch bigger fish. Granted, fog delays hurt they guys making the long runs, but that's part of the game. Frankly, from what I've read about the delta, There's no way you should have to run two or three hours to find good fish. But hey, I wasn't there, so what do I know?
OK, so KVD has now matched Rick Clunn with four Classic titles and I believe he's matched Roland Martin for total BASS tournament wins. He's also won something like $5 million in tournaments. He still has three Angler of the Year titles to go to match Martin's nine, but does anybody doubt he will not only match, but exceed, that?
His dominance of his sport reminds me of Tiger Woods at the top of the golf world and Gary Kasparov as world chess champion. They didn't necessarily win every time they played, but if they were entered they had to be considered a favorite to win. Not because they didn't have worthy opponents or that they were necessarily more skilled, but he manages to focus his skills and concentration better than the others and he obviously thrives in pressure situations.
Ho many of us, with $500,000 on the line, could stay on a hole for a couple hours, until the fish he was sure would be there, started biting? Most of us would give up after an hour or so and head elsewhere.
But then, that's why he's at the top of the fishing world and we're not.
And he didn't do it by finding some obscure hole where he fished by himself for three days, he was in the same pocket, often within casting range, of his closest competitors. And what he was using - spinnerbaits and then crankbaits - was no secret. He just plain outfished them.
I especially enjoyed the fact that he won with only a short run from the launch ramp, while others ran something like 150 miles to where they thought they would catch bigger fish. Granted, fog delays hurt they guys making the long runs, but that's part of the game. Frankly, from what I've read about the delta, There's no way you should have to run two or three hours to find good fish. But hey, I wasn't there, so what do I know?
OK, so KVD has now matched Rick Clunn with four Classic titles and I believe he's matched Roland Martin for total BASS tournament wins. He's also won something like $5 million in tournaments. He still has three Angler of the Year titles to go to match Martin's nine, but does anybody doubt he will not only match, but exceed, that?
His dominance of his sport reminds me of Tiger Woods at the top of the golf world and Gary Kasparov as world chess champion. They didn't necessarily win every time they played, but if they were entered they had to be considered a favorite to win. Not because they didn't have worthy opponents or that they were necessarily more skilled, but he manages to focus his skills and concentration better than the others and he obviously thrives in pressure situations.
Ho many of us, with $500,000 on the line, could stay on a hole for a couple hours, until the fish he was sure would be there, started biting? Most of us would give up after an hour or so and head elsewhere.
But then, that's why he's at the top of the fishing world and we're not.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Student angler program
Here's an interesting announcement from The Bass Federation and FLW Outdoors:
PONCA CITY, Okla. – The Bass Federation’s (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF) and FLW Outdoors recently announced the formation of the largest student angler program in history.
Decades of youth program leadership by TBF and affiliated state federations, and FLW Outdoors’ position as the largest promoter of tournaments in the world have spawned the largest youth fishing initiative in sports history. The new national High School Fishing program follows highly successful TBF and FLW Outdoors programs including National Guard FLW College Fishing, the SAF High School Fishing World Finals and the TBF Junior World Championship. Over 23,000 high schools across the nation and Canada are invited to compete giving high school anglers opportunities to fish, make friends, advance to championship events and earn scholarships to benefit their education and their lives.
“The Federation was founded on three core principles – youth, conservation and fishing,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “For more than four decades we’ve been the leader in youth fishing programs. This is the next step for us and for our great partnership with FLW Outdoors. Through our Student Angler Federation we’ll provide every high school club and angler who enters a High School Fishing State Championship with full TBF and FLW Outdoors member benefits, including the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition, TBF insurance coverage while competing and educational material on math, science and language arts and why they’re important to fishing and life. We will also provide advancement to the nation’s premier fishing events. So, it’s not simply about another fishing tournament. It’s about fishing, education and family fun. Prizes will consist of trophies, sponsor products and significant scholarships, which can help these young anglers prosper.”
The High School Fishing program will start out with a High School Fishing State Championship for every state in the continental United States and the province of Ontario, Canada. The events will be a two-person team format of high school students grades 9-12, paired with a “coach” of their choice who will provide the boat they compete from. All state championships are only $25 per person. Current TBF SAF high school club members fish for free. All competitors receive full SAF member benefits, including TBF and FLW Outdoors membership with their $25 entry fee so it’s a win-win for everyone. The winning team from each state championship advances to a High School Fishing Regional Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship, where boats and a travel allowance are provided. The winning team from each regional championship advances to the High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, again where boats and a travel allowance are provided. The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice. All SAF members and High School Fishing State Championship contestants automatically qualify for High School Fishing’s single largest event, the 2011 SAF High School Fishing World Finals July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark.
“High School Fishing is the natural progression of our successful National Guard FLW College Fishing program,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW Outdoors President, Operations Division. “With TBF heading up the state championships and FLW Outdoors leading the way at regional championships and the national championship, we are able to provide a comprehensive program that will help connect students to our nation’s natural resources while also providing a new sport for young men and women alike that will give students an even stronger connection to their schools.”
To register for your High School Fishing State Championship and information on how to start an SAF High School Fishing club, visit Highschoolfishing.org.
PONCA CITY, Okla. – The Bass Federation’s (TBF) Student Angler Federation (SAF) and FLW Outdoors recently announced the formation of the largest student angler program in history.
Decades of youth program leadership by TBF and affiliated state federations, and FLW Outdoors’ position as the largest promoter of tournaments in the world have spawned the largest youth fishing initiative in sports history. The new national High School Fishing program follows highly successful TBF and FLW Outdoors programs including National Guard FLW College Fishing, the SAF High School Fishing World Finals and the TBF Junior World Championship. Over 23,000 high schools across the nation and Canada are invited to compete giving high school anglers opportunities to fish, make friends, advance to championship events and earn scholarships to benefit their education and their lives.
“The Federation was founded on three core principles – youth, conservation and fishing,” TBF President, Robert Cartlidge, said. “For more than four decades we’ve been the leader in youth fishing programs. This is the next step for us and for our great partnership with FLW Outdoors. Through our Student Angler Federation we’ll provide every high school club and angler who enters a High School Fishing State Championship with full TBF and FLW Outdoors member benefits, including the all-new FLW Outdoors Magazine e-Edition, TBF insurance coverage while competing and educational material on math, science and language arts and why they’re important to fishing and life. We will also provide advancement to the nation’s premier fishing events. So, it’s not simply about another fishing tournament. It’s about fishing, education and family fun. Prizes will consist of trophies, sponsor products and significant scholarships, which can help these young anglers prosper.”
The High School Fishing program will start out with a High School Fishing State Championship for every state in the continental United States and the province of Ontario, Canada. The events will be a two-person team format of high school students grades 9-12, paired with a “coach” of their choice who will provide the boat they compete from. All state championships are only $25 per person. Current TBF SAF high school club members fish for free. All competitors receive full SAF member benefits, including TBF and FLW Outdoors membership with their $25 entry fee so it’s a win-win for everyone. The winning team from each state championship advances to a High School Fishing Regional Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with a National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championship, where boats and a travel allowance are provided. The winning team from each regional championship advances to the High School Fishing National Championship held on a college campus in conjunction with the National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship, again where boats and a travel allowance are provided. The High School Fishing National Champions each receive a $5,000 scholarship to use at the university of their choice. All SAF members and High School Fishing State Championship contestants automatically qualify for High School Fishing’s single largest event, the 2011 SAF High School Fishing World Finals July 20-23 in Russellville, Ark.
“High School Fishing is the natural progression of our successful National Guard FLW College Fishing program,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW Outdoors President, Operations Division. “With TBF heading up the state championships and FLW Outdoors leading the way at regional championships and the national championship, we are able to provide a comprehensive program that will help connect students to our nation’s natural resources while also providing a new sport for young men and women alike that will give students an even stronger connection to their schools.”
To register for your High School Fishing State Championship and information on how to start an SAF High School Fishing club, visit Highschoolfishing.org.
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