DES MOINES - The July 4 holiday is the busiest boating weekend of the year in Iowa and with the recent rain over much of the state, boaters using rivers and reservoirs should keep an eye out for hazards floating just below the surface.

“We want people to enjoy the water and the outdoors, but we also want them to be safe,” said Rod Slings, recreation safety programs supervisor with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “When you combine hot weather, high water, swift currents and debris, that increases the chances that someone can get into trouble.”

The cloudy, murky water will hide debris washed into rivers and reservoirs. These hazards are hidden by the stained water and can pose risks to water skiers and tubers pulled behind boats.

“Speed and water conditions will be the main issues for boaters in rivers and reservoirs. Slow down, avoid alcohol and keep an eye out for floating debris,” Slings said. “There will be a lot of boaters out this weekend, and one way for everyone to have a safe holiday is to practice defensive boating and have patience.”

Boaters should go through their boat checking safety equipment, including life jackets, in their driveway before heading to the water. Check boat and trailer lights, the fire extinguisher and throwable life preserver, if required. When arriving to the ramp, using the staging area to get the boat ready to launch. Don’t tie up the ramp.

“Put the life jacket on because it probably won’t save your life unless you wear it,” Slings said.

For more information, contact Slings at 515-281-8652.
Source: Iowa DNR

ATHENS, Texas — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has just completed a successful striped bass spawning and stocking season. TPWD Inland Fisheries Division personnel produced and stocked 4.6 million striped bass and hybrid striped bass fingerlings into 42 lakes. An additional 2.6 million striped bass and hybrid striped bass fry were stocked into three lakes.

“This number of fish is smack dab in the middle of average production levels prior to the onset of golden alga,” said Gerald Kurten, hatchery program director for catfishes and striped bass. “We are proud to be back where we should be in spite of the fact that golden alga continues to be problematic for both the Dundee and Possum Kingdom hatcheries. This year’s stockings represent about 80 percent of the requests from TPWD Inland Fisheries managers. We stocked all the lakes for which the managers requested fish, but a few of the larger requests were not completely met.”

“Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is keenly aware of the importance of the striped bass and hybrid striped bass fisheries to local economies,” said Gary Saul, TPWD hatcheries chief. “Our staff works around the clock for weeks to produce and stock these fish in order to sustain this valuable fishery.”

The fingerlings were produced at the A.E. Wood Hatchery at San Marcos, the Possum Kingdom Hatchery near Graford and the Dundee Hatchery near Electra.

The process began with the collection of striped bass males and egg-laden females from the Trinity River at the foot of Livingston Dam in mid-April. The fish were transported in tank trailers to the hatcheries, where TPWD fisheries biologists and technicians continuously monitored the females to determine when the eggs they carried were mature and ready to be spawned.

Technicians then stripped the eggs from each female into a container while milt from one or more males was added. The eggs and milt were mixed using a turkey feather, and the fertilized eggs were then placed into hatching jars. Large striped bass females are capable of producing as many as a million eggs.

After the fry hatched, most were reared in outdoor ponds to fingerling size, about 1.5 inches long, before being stocked into lakes.

Complicating the process was the fact that the water supply at the Possum Kingdom and Dundee hatcheries contained high levels of golden alga, a microscopic organism that can produce toxins capable of killing fish of any size. Hatchery personnel monitored the level of golden alga toxins continuously during the spawning and grow-out periods and took measures to ensure the fish survived.

Successful management of fingerlings ponds requires constant attention to water quality parameters such as temperature, pH and ammonia concentrations. High pH and ammonia concentrations are the key to keeping golden alga at bay in hatchery ponds, but they are also potentially lethal to young striped bass, so hatchery staff must perform a balancing act to maintain the appropriate conditions in the ponds. Fluctuations in temperature and cloud cover also have an impact, and the staff has to consider how future weather will affect the ponds. When golden alga is present, the fish can be lost at any time during pond production, so constant vigilance on the part of the hatchery staff and predictable weather are the keys to success.

Striped bass are anadromous like salmon in that they spawn in fresh water and then migrate out to salt water. Striped bass were first introduced into Texas in 1967, when they were stocked into lakes Navarro Mills and Bardwell. They can survive in fresh water, and except in Lake Texoma, they normally do not produce enough offspring naturally to maintain their population. TPWD stocks fish to supplement the natural production and provide additional fishing opportunity.

“The way our hatcheries do the spawning absolutely makes them the leaders in this field,” says Roger McCabe, who retired in June 2005 after heading the Texas striped bass program for a quarter of a century. “As far as stocking for maintaining fisheries is concerned, we have the largest striped bass and hybrid striped bass stocking program in the country.”

Stocking Sites
Source: TPWD

MAYPORT, Fla. — The $1.7 million Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour – the most lucrative kingfish tournament trail in the world – is headed to Mayport, Fla., July 8-9 for the circuit’s third $300,000 event presented by Castrol.

Competitors will fish for a top award of as much as $100,000 and valuable points that could earn them a berth into the no-entry-fee $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in D’Iberville, Miss., Oct. 13-15 for a shot at as much as $150,000.

“Typically, here in the Jacksonville area, it will take a kingfish in the high 40s or low 50s to win in July,” said Rod Hatfield of Jacksonville Beach, captain of Team Raymarine. “The water over the last few years has been cool, and we’ve had a thermocline. Teams would have to run 50 miles to find good fish. But this year is different. The fish are already showing up on the beach. Two weeks ago, a fisherman caught a 52-pound king off a pier. That’s rare, but it tells you the fish are on the beach.

“If a team doesn’t have a lot of experience fishing here, it will be like fishing a new location. Instead of making long runs like we have in the past couple years, a lot of teams will run less than 20 miles, will within sight of the beach, and fish in 30-50 feet of water.”

Harbortown Marina at 13846 Atlantic Blvd. in Jacksonville will host daily takeoffs and weigh-ins at 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

Teams will compete for two days to determine the winner based on the largest kingfish weighed.

The winning team earns $40,000 cash, and if the team captain is the registered owner of an Aquasport, Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat that is used during the tournament, the team receives a $30,000 bonus. Additionally, if the winning captain is the registered owner and runs Yamaha outboards during the tournament, the team receives another $30,000 bonus for a total award of $100,000 cash.

Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine year-end standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship, where they will compete for two days for a berth in the final round of 10 teams. The championship winner is guaranteed $75,000 cash and may earn cash bonuses equaling $75,000 from Aquasport, Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl, Wellcraft and Yamaha for a total of $150,000.

The Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour features four regular-season tournaments, each with a $300,000 purse.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined purse of $30 million through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Source: FLW Outdoors

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division is planning to restore salmon habitat with trees removed for a state highway-widening project along the site of the future Brightwater Treatment Plant.

Crews for the Snohomish County Public Utility District will be removing trees to make room for the state Department of Transportation’s State Route 9 widening project. Removing the trees is necessary for moving utility poles along SR-9 north of Woodinville. Some tree removal could start as early as next week.

King County will use about 50 of the downed trees as large woody debris to enhance streams and wetlands in more than 40 acres of open-space habitat at the Brightwater site. Large trees with root wads still attached are useful for providing shade and habitat in salmon-bearing streams. Also, branches and smaller debris will be chipped and stored on site for use as mulch.

For more information about the Brightwater project, visit the project Web site or call 206-684-6799 (1-888-707-8571, toll-free). For more information about the state’s SR-9 widening project, visit the project Web site.

When Brightwater begins operating in 2010, it will serve Bothell, Brier, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville. It will also serve unincorporated areas of Snohomish and King counties in the Alderwood, Cross Valley, Northeast Sammamish, Northshore, Silver Lake and Woodinville sewer districts.

Formerly known as Metro, the wastewater-treatment utility now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for 40 years. The regional clean-water agency serves 17 cities, 17 local sewer agencies and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

Source: King County

LAPLATA, Md. – Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds Friday to lead the $1.25 million Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s on the Potomac River. At stake are a $200,000 top award, qualification for the Forrest L. Wood Championship and the coveted Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title, which will go to either Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., or Toshinari Namiki of Hachioji-City, Japan.

Hackney held a seven-point lead over Namiki coming into the tournament, so if he finishes at least six places ahead of Namiki on Saturday he will win the title. Hackney is currently in 10th place with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces and Namiki is ninth with five bass weighing 12 pounds.

“I’m going to pull my pants up and fish a little harder tomorrow,” said Hackney, who finished second in both the FLW and Bassmaster tour points last season.

Iaconelli, a former Bassmaster Classic champion who could surpass $1 million in career winnings with a victory here, caught the majority of his bass using a Berkley Sinking Minnow in watermelon color with black flakes.

“It was one of those days when everything went perfect,” Iaconelli said. “I love this place. Some of my first tournaments were here in the early 1990s in the BFL. To come back here 10 years later as a pro on the FLW Tour is awesome. If you’re fishing the FLW Tour, you’re fishing against the best anglers in the world. It’s a great organization, and I love these events.

“The fishing will be tougher tomorrow. There will be more boats on the water and other tournaments. But you have to forget about today and fish like you’re starting from zero.”

Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 4 to secure the No. 2 spot heading into the final day of competition, while fellow Kellogg’s pro Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., caught five bass weighing 14 pounds, 14 ounces to grab the No. 3 spot.

Pro Gary Yamamoto of Mineola, Texas (five bass, 14 pounds, 13 ounces) and Land O’Lakes pro Jerry Williams of Conway, Ark. (five bass, 14 pounds, 12 ounces) round out the top five pros.

Namiki, Williams and Wendlandt have all earned four top-10 finishes in a single season – Namiki this year, Williams in 1998 and Wendlandt in 1999 and 2000. Only Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Mo., has earned more top 10s in a single season (five in 1998).

Pat Wilson of Penngrove, Calif., took top honors and $40,000 in the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces. He caught the fish on drop-shot rigged 4- and 6-inch Robo Worms while fishing with pro Gary Yamamoto of Mineola, Texas.

“At about 1:30 p.m., I only had two keepers,” said Wilson, who has earned 12 top-10s in Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and EverStart Series competition. “Then I caught a 5-pounder, and Gary said I needed to get a limit because I had a chance to win. So he pulled up on a spot, put his rod down on the deck and quit fishing. I was able to finish my limit. I only caught six keepers, but they were quality fish.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jason Cordiale of Orinda, Calif. (five bass, 12 pounds, $20,000); Kent McPhail of Lubbock, Texas (five bass, 11 pounds, 12 ounces, $10,000); Roger Hester of Walnut Cove, N.C. (five bass, 10 pounds, 9 ounces, $9,000); and Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark. (five bass, 9 pounds, 13 ounces, $8,000).

Anglers will take off Saturday from Smallwood State Park in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. followed by the final weigh-in at the Wal-Mart store located at 40 Drury Drive in LaPlata beginning at 3 p.m.

The community is invited to join the world’s top bass anglers as they celebrate the FLW Tour’s 10th anniversary in the Family Fun Zone Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone opens at 11 a.m. Saturday and features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy.

Tom Arnold and Chris Rose made a special appearance in the Family Fun Zone from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday for a special taping of the FSN hit “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” which will air tonight at 10:30 p.m. Arnold and Rose interviewed FLW Tour anglers Jimmy Houston, J.T. Kenney, Chad Grigsby and Kim Bain.

Monte Burke, author of “Sowbelly, the Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass,” was also in the Fun Zone Friday autographing copies of his new hit book.

The pros will continue competition Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day weight. Pros finishing as low as 50th place earn $10,000.

Only the top 48 pros and top 48 co-anglers in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year points race following this event will advance to the Forrest L. Wood Championship July 13-16 in Hot Springs, Ark., on Lake Hamilton. The $1.5 million championship presented by Castrol awards the winning pro $500,000 cash, the sport’s largest payout, and features a world-class outdoor show. Pros earn a minimum of $15,000 just for qualifying.

Complete coverage of the Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s will be broadcast to 82 million FSN subscribers as part of the “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” television program July 24 and 31. “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Additionally, “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” is broadcast by the American Forces Network to 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard naval ships. Saturday’s final weigh-in will also be broadcast live to Wal-Mart stores nationwide by the Wal-Mart Television Network.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Source: FLW Outdoors

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is making it easier for sport anglers to stay informed about current ocean fishing regulations with the introduction of a new hotline. Thanks to this new service, most of California’s ocean bottomfishing regulations are now just a phone call away.

DFG has developed the Recreational Groundfish Fishing Regulations Hotline at (831) 649-2801. Using a touch tone keypad, anglers can now get the latest groundfish regulations information over the phone, and with a cell phone, it’s possible to get this information while at sea. To use the hotline, anglers simply need to know where in the state they plan to fish, and the groundfish species or species groups they will be targeting or are likely to catch.

“The department is committed to keeping the information found on this hotline current at all times so that anglers will have a dependable source for finding the latest groundfishing regulations,” said Gary Stacey, manager of the Marine Region. “This new service is now available to everyone 24 hours per day, seven days a week.”

In-season changes to ocean sport fishing regulations can make it tough for fishermen to keep up with current fishing rules. While the DFG provides information on its Web site, at www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd, to help anglers stay informed about regulation changes, those without computers and Internet access have found it more difficult to get current information.

The hotline does not present complete groundfish regulations information, and is not intended to take the place of the regulation booklet or supplement. It does present regulations that are the most likely to change during the season, including openings and closures, depth restrictions, and size and bag limits.

SOUTH-CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Felsenthal: Crossroads said bream fishing is good on crickets, wax worms and red wigglers fished in the shallows. Top-water poppers are also catching a few bream for the warmwater fly fishers. Bass are fair on top-water lures fished among the cypress trees. Catfish are fair on cold worms.

Saline River: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the river is muddy and low. Fishing is poor.

Cox Creek Lake: Sanders Pawn and Bait said the lake is stained and low. Fishing is poor.

EAST ARKANSAS:

Maddox Bay: Maddox Bay Landing said the lake is clear and low. Bream are biting excellent from 1- to 2-feet deep on crickets and popping bugs. Crappie fishing is fair from 4- to 6-feet deep using minnows and jigs near brush piles. Bass fishing is good using spinner baits and crankbaits from 1- to 4-feet deep. Catfishing is excellent using stink bait along the bottom.

Midway Lake: Ed’s Boat Camp said the lake is clear and low. Bream are biting well from 1- to 2-feet deep on crickets near cypress trees. Crappie are biting well about 7-feet deep on slow-trolled minnows. Bass fishing is excellent about 2-feet deep using top-water lures near the cypress trees. Catfish are biting well on nightcrawlers or minnows.

Bear Creek Lake: Six Rivers Sport Center said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on wax worms and crickets near brush. Crappie fishing is good from 14- to 16-feet deep using jigs near rocky points.

Horseshoe Lake: Local fisherman Clyde Gregory said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well about 3-feet deep on crickets around the cypress trees. Crappie fishing is good using black-and-chartreuse jigs about 10-feet deep around the piers and the lily pads. Bass are biting fair about 3-feet deep on white-and-chartreuse spinner baits near the cypress trees. Catfishing is good using stink bait and cut bait.

White River Refuge Lakes: Ed’s Bait Shop said the lakes are clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets in shallow water. Crappie fishing is good from 3- to 5-feet deep using minnows near brush piles and stumps in the middle of the lake. Bass fishing is fair using minnows near brush. Catfish are biting fair on worms and stink bait in the river itself.

Arkansas River at Pine Bluff: River City Sporting Goods said the lake is stained and high. Bream are biting well from 2- to 4-feet deep using crickets. Crappie fishing is good from 8- to 12-feet deep using minnows and black-and-chartreuse jigs near brush piles. Bass fishing is good using top-water lures, buzzbaits, Horny Toads, Pop R’s and Baby Torpedoes near rocky points around the bank. Catfish are biting well on shad about 30-feet deep.

Source: AGFC

GRAND ISLE, La. – Kurt Koliba of Port Lavaca, Texas and Michael Shimek of Bay City, Texas caught two redfish weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce to lead day one of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Western Division event in Grand Isle, where a field of 105 teams is competing for a top award of as much as $50,000 cash.

“We made a long run, all the way up to Venice,” Koliba said. “The area we fished looked like a bass-fishing area. There was lots of grass, and we saw gar and alligators everywhere.

“We sight-fished for the most part, and we caught around 10 redfish. Michael caught one that was close to 9 pounds.” Most of the two-man team’s redfish were duped by throwing jigging spoons. Shimek threw a silver spoon, while Koliba threw a copper-colored one.

Anglers had partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the high 80s for the first day of the event. A storm blew through the Grand Isle area during the course of the day, but Koliba said he and Shimek were able to dodge the turbulent weather.

Rounding out the top five teams are Chris Chapman of Winter Park, Fla., and Dan McGatlin of Lake Mary, Fla. (two redfish, 16 pounds, 8 ounces); Matthew Morel and Peter Young, both of New Orleans (two redfish, 15 pounds, 12 ounces); and in a fourth-place tie were the team of Mark Trevino of Friendswood, Texas and Greg Hartsell of Pearland, Texas and the team of Trent Brady of Larose and Eddie Callias of Galliano.

Both teams caught two redfish weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces.

Anglers caught and released a total of 191 redfish weighing 1,107 pounds, 8 ounces.

FLW Redfish Series qualifying tournaments are two-day events. The entire field competes Friday and Saturday, and the winning team is determined Saturday based on the heaviest two-day accumulated weight. Boats will launch from Pirates Cove Marina in Grand Isle Saturday at 7 a.m., and the final weigh-in will be held at Pirates Cove Marina beginning at 3 p.m.

The next FLW Redfish Series Western Division event will be held Aug. 5-6 in Galveston, Texas.

The FLW Redfish Series consists of two divisions – East and West. Each division is comprised of four events with a $200,000 purse for each event. The top 100 teams – 50 from each division after four qualifying events – will qualify for the three-day, no-entry-fee $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship to be held in Mobile, Ala., Oct. 27-29. The championship winner will take home as much as $100,000.

Source: FLW Outdoors

Lake Dardanelle: Early Bird Outfitters said the lake is muddy. Bream are biting well from 2- to 4-feet deep on crickets. Crappie fishing is fair from 8- to 10-feet deep using minnows and jigs. Bass are biting well from 4- to 8-feet deep on crankbaits, dark-colored plastic worms and Carolina rigs. Catfishing is good using stink bait, live bait and cut bait.

Ozark Pool: Lakeside Food Mart said the river is muddy and high. Bream and crappie fishing are both poor. Bass fishing is poor to fair using white or chartreuse spinner baits in shallow water. Catfishing is fair using worms or shad.

Lake Ouachita: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is clear and low. Bream are biting excellent from 5- to 15-feet deep on red worms, crickets and nightcrawlers. The bream are going back to their beds. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass fishing is good from 15- to 20-feet deep using top-water lures early around points. Also, try to catch bass over or on the outside of the moss. Catfishing is good at night using trotlines baited with live bait. Walleye are biting well from 15- to 20-feet deep on a jigworm.

Lake Catherine: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is murky and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished shallow near brush or moss flats. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting well on black spinner baits. Catfish are biting well on jugs.

Lake Hamilton: Trader Bill’s Sport Shop said the lake is murky and at normal pool. Fishing is good until 9 a.m. Due to the lake conditions, it is best to stay off the lake from 9 a.m. until dark. Bream are biting well shallow on worms and crickets near brush or moss flats. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass fishing is good using black spinner baits. Catfishing is good using jugs.

Lake Hinkle: Bill’s Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well from 4- to 5-feet deep on crickets. Crappie fishing is fair about 5-feet deep using minnows or jigs near brush piles. Bass are biting well on spinner baits, crankbaits and minnows. Catfish are biting well on trotlines baited with goldfish or shiners.

Lake Atkins: Lucky Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well about 3-feet deep on crickets near cypress trees. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass fishing is excellent about 3-feet deep using spinner baits, crankbaits, plastic worms and jigs near grassy areas. Catfishing is good about 4-feet deep using minnows.

Lake Nimrod: Lake Nimrod Bait ‘n’ More II said the lake is at 345 feet. Bream fishing has been great on crickets and worms. Bass fishing is good on spinner baits and buzzbaits early in the morning. The catfish are biting on nightcrawlers, stink bait and chicken livers. Crappie are biting well on minnows, red-and-chartreuse jigs, pink-and-white jigs and shallow-running Bandit crankbaits.

Arkansas River: Cross Creek said the river is muddy and flowing. Bream are biting fair from 3- to 4-feet deep on crickets in the backwaters. Crappie fishing is fair from 5- to 6-feet deep using minnows near brush piles. Largemouth bass are biting well on white spinner baits on the outside of the grass.

Source: AGFC

LAPLATA, Md. – Tom Arnold, Chris Rose and John Salley will be joining the world’s top professional bass anglers on the Potomac River when the $7.6 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour rolls into Charles County June 22-25 for the inaugural Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s. The trio will be on the water and in the tour’s Family Fun Zone at the LaPlata Wal-Mart Supercenter from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 24, taping an episode of the FSN hit “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”

Taping for the nationwide cable sports show, which airs weeknights at 10:30 p.m., will precede the tournament’s day-three weigh-in and crowning of the co-angler champion, which starts at 5 p.m. Friday. Arnold, Rose and Salley will interview FLW Tour anglers and prominent sports figures from the Washington, D.C., area. Spectators could possibly make an appearance on the show as well, so you won’t want to miss this opportunity.

The Wal-Mart Supercenter hosting the Chevy Open and “Best Damn Sports Show” taping is located at 40 Drury Drive in LaPlata. For more information on the popular show, visit msn.foxsports.com/bestdamn.

The Chevy Open is the final regular-season event of the 2005 FLW Tour season, and valuable points are on the line in addition to a $1.25 million purse that pays $200,000 to the winning pro and $40,000 to the winning co-angler. Following the event, the field for the no-entry-fee $1.5 million Forrest L. Wood Championship presented by Castrol will be set, and only the top 48 pros and top 48 co-anglers will be making the trip to Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark., July 13-16 to compete in the sport’s biggest event. The prestigious Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title is also up for grabs, with 7 UP pro J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., currently leading the race by a mere two points over Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C. Several other pros are also within striking range.

Anglers take off each morning from Smallwood State Park in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located in LaPlata beginning at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

The community is invited to attend the free Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy. Monte Burke, author of “Sowbelly, the Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass,” will also be in the Fun Zone autographing copies of his new hit book.

Coverage of the Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s will be broadcast to 82 million FSN subscribers as part of the “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” television program July 24 and 31. “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Additionally, “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” is broadcast by the American Forces Network to 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard naval ships. Saturday’s final weigh-in will also be broadcast live to Wal-Mart stores nationwide by the Wal-Mart Television Network.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Millwood Lake: Millwood Lake Guide Service said the water temperature ranges from 82 to 90 degrees. The lake level is approximately 2 inches above normal. Largemouth bass remain good on chrome-and-black baby torpedoes, bleeding red-and-white buzzbaits, red-and-orange sparkle and chrome-and-black Rat-L-Traps and white Zoom Horny Toads.

Try fishing around lily pads and along the edges of vegetation. Swimming white jigs with milky white grub trailers, and “bleeding” Gitzit tubes in green pumpkin-and-red or black-and-blue is working in the river cut outs and creek mouths dumping into Little River where stumps are in 9 to 12 feet of water. Try flipping 3/8-ounce jigs in Texas craw color with a green pumpkin or a pumpkinseed trailer near the base of cypress trees. Also, try using Carolina-rigged Zoom Lizards in watermelon red, or green pumpkin and Bass Assassin Shads in gizzard shad color along Little River. To fish the shallow grass areas on the main lake, use a stout rod with heavy line and a ¾- to 1-ounce jig to penetrate the grass and vegetation. Kentuckies and white bass remain fair to good using ¼-ounce Rat-L-Traps in white, rocket shads in white-and-chartreuse, Little Georges and Rooster Tail spinners in chrome-and-red. Crappie fishermen report fair catches over brush piles between 12- and 15-feet deep. A few crappie have been taken on jigs and shiners in shallow water around cypress trees, but the fish in those locations are smaller. Bream are fair on crickets and red worms off the bank at the state park and Jack’s Isle. Blue catfish are fair to good; some weighing up to 6 pounds. Try fishing at night with yo-yos set from 7- to 12-feet deep and baited with shiners or cut shad underneath cypress trees in sloughs adjacent to Little River, Horseshoe Lake and in Mud Lake oxbow areas.

Lake Columbia: Steve’s Marine said the lake is stained and at normal pool. Bream fishing is good 2- to 6-feet deep using worms and crickets. Crappie are beginning to bite late in the evening on shiners fished 8- to 10-feet deep. Bass are biting well on junebug-colored worms and Rat-L-Traps. Catfish are biting well on chicken liver and nightcrawlers fished about 12-feet deep.

Lake Erling: Steve’s Marine said the lake is stained and about a foot below normal pool. Bream are biting well on worms and crickets fished about 4-feet deep. Crappie fishing is poor. Bass are biting well from 3- to 6-feet deep on spinner baits near docks. Catfish are biting well from 3- to 5-feet deep using chicken liver and nightcrawlers.

White Oak Lake: Charlie’s One Stop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well about 5-feet deep using crickets near brush piles or stumps. Crappie fishing is fair in the cooler water. Catfish are biting at night on trotlines baited with chicken liver or stink bait.

Lake Greeson: Lakeside Grocery, Motel and Bait Shop said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well on crickets. Crappie are biting from 8- to 12-feet deep on minnows and jigs near brush. Bass fishing is fair early in the morning using plastic worms or buzzbaits. Catfishing is fair.

DeGray Lake: Point Cedar Bait Shop said bream are on the beds and are biting well on crickets. DeGray One Stop said the lake is clear, at normal pool and in the upper 80s. Bream fishing is good from 8- to 18-feet deep using crickets. Crappie fishing is fair from 18- to 24-feet deep using jigs in the creek channels or near grassy points. Largemouths and Kentuckies are holding on the outside edge of the weeds and are biting from 18- to 28-feet deep on Carolina rigs and deep-running crankbaits. Whites and hybrids are schooling in the mornings and in the evenings between Yancey Creek and Bill Hill Creek just south of Brush Creek.

Little Missouri River: Generator Three is back online as of June 7 and the last couple of days have seen regular generation out of Generator Two as well. The stream is still pretty dry despite a few recent thunderstorms. A few fish are willing to strike again on small terrestrials like ants (size 18).

Source: AGFC

LA PLATA, Md. – With two days complete at the $1.25 million Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s on the Potomac River, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s qualifying season is over for all but the 10 remaining pros and co-anglers who will continue fishing in the final round for top awards of $200,000 and $40,000, respectively.

The top 48 anglers in each division following the end of competition Saturday will also advance to the $1.5 million Forrest L. Wood Championship in Hot Springs, Ark., July 13-16. Brent Chapman of Lake Quivira, Kan., leads the Pro Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 10 ounces. He caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces Wednesday using a homemade 3/8-ounce jig with a Zoom Super Chuck Jr. trailer then added another five bass weighing 17 pounds, 3 ounces Thursday using the same lure around both shallow grass and boat docks. He also used a crankbait early in the day to boat a quick limit near grass beds. Low tide, he said, is helping to position his fish each day.

“I feel good right now,” said Chapman, who is expecting the birth of his second child any day now. “I’ve finished 11th twice already this year, so it’s great to make the top 10. If I miss my daughter’s birth, I figure a $200,000 check will help make up for it.”

Michael Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., added five bass weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces to his day one catch of five bass weighing 18 pounds, 12 ounces to finish the opening round in second with 10 bass weighing 33 pounds, 9 ounces.

Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., claimed the No. 3 qualifying spot in the final round with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 10 ounces.

Toshinari Namiki of Hachioji-City, Japan, (10 bass, 32 pounds, 7 ounces) and Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, (10 bass, 31 pounds, 13 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.

All told, it was another near-record performance in Charles County as 195 pros and 181 co-anglers caught bass, bringing a total of 1,495 fish weighing 3,166 pounds, 15 ounces to the stage. The two-day opening round catch of 3,201 bass weighing 7,084 pounds, 1 ounce is the tour’s third best of all time in terms of bass caught and weight. Only Lake Champlain in New York produced more fish in 2004 (3,457 bass, 8,239 pounds, 11 ounces) and 2002 (3,233 bass, 7,865 pounds, 8 ounces). Most of the bass weighed in on Lake Champlain were smallmouths, while the Potomac River produced largemouths.

The closely contested Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year points race drew even closer Thursday with only seven points separating Hackney and Namiki in the chase for the coveted title. Both men came from behind to unseat the previous points leader, J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, who fishes for Team 7 UP. Final points will not be available until Saturday’s final weigh-in.

Coming into the event, Gagliardi, Hackney and Namiki trailed Kenney by 2, 16 and 23 points, respectively, in the No. 2, 3 and 4 positions. Gagliardi finished the tournament in 37th with 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 8 ounces while Kenney finished 114th with nine bass weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces.

Gary Yamamoto of Mineola, Texas, earned the Energizer Keeps on Going Award for jumping from 43rd in the standings to qualify for the final round as the No. 7 angler.

Chapman earned the day’s Snickers Big Bass award of $750 in the Pro Division with a 5-pound, 14-ounce largemouth. Danny Correia of Marlborough, Mass., earned the overall Snickers Big Bass award of $1,000 for catching the heaviest bass in either division during the opening round. Correia caught a 6-pound, 9-ounce largemouth Wednesday.

Roger Hester II of Walnut Cove, N.C., leads the Co-angler Division thanks to a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 12 ounces. Hester caught five bass weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces Wednesday while fishing with John Crews of Salem, Va., then added another five bass weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces to his total Thursday while fishing with pro Koby Kreiger of Okeechobee, Fla.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kent McPhail of Lubbock, Texas (10 bass, 26 pounds, 7 ounces); Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark. (10 bass, 26 pounds, 5 ounces); Johnny Taylor of Kodak, Tenn. (10 bass, 26 pounds, 5 ounces); and Merle Wells Jr. of Hammond, N.Y. (10 bass, 25 pounds, 10 ounces).

Dennis Kirby of Lakeland, Tenn., claimed the Snickers Big Bass award and $375 in the Co-angler Division with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass that he caught while fishing with pro Steven McGahan of Gales Ferry, Conn.

Anglers will take off each morning from Smallwood State Park in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 40 Drury Drive in LaPlata beginning at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

The community is invited to join the world’s top bass anglers as they celebrate the FLW Tour’s 10th anniversary in the Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday, features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy.

Tom Arnold, Chris Rose and John Salley will be appearing in the Family Fun Zone from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday for a special taping of the FSN hit “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” which airs weeknights at 10:30 p.m. Arnold, Rose and Salley will interview FLW Tour anglers and prominent sports figures from the Washington, D.C., area. Spectators could possibly make an appearance on the show as well, so you won’t want to miss this opportunity.

Monte Burke, author of “Sowbelly, the Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass,” will also be in the Fun Zone autographing copies of his new hit book.

Following Thursday’s competition, the field was narrowed from 200 competitors per division to 10, and weights were cleared for Friday’s competition. Co-angler competition concludes Friday based on the heaviest one-day weight, and pros continue competition Saturday with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day weight. The winning co-angler earns $40,000 while the winning pro earns $200,000. Pros finishing as low as 50th place earn $10,000.

The top 48 pros and top 48 co-anglers in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year points standings following this event will advance to the Forrest L. Wood Championship July 13-16 in Hot Springs, Ark., on Lake Hamilton. The $1.5 million championship presented by Castrol awards the winning pro $500,000 cash, the sport’s largest payout, and features a world-class outdoor show. Pros earn a minimum of $15,000 just for qualifying.

Complete coverage of the Chevy Open presented by Kellogg’s will be broadcast to 82 million FSN subscribers as part of the “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” television program July 24 and 31. “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Additionally, “Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors” is broadcast by the American Forces Network to 800,000 service men and women stationed around the world in 177 countries and aboard naval ships. Saturday’s final weigh-in will also be broadcast live to Wal-Mart stores nationwide by the Wal-Mart Television Network.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and seven other national tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through 214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.

Source: FLW Outdoors

NORTHEAST ARKANSAS
White River: Local fisherman Jeff Moore said the White River at Guion continues to run low making boating difficult. Trout and bass fishing is fair in the Guion area. Rainbows can be caught either by anchor fishing or drift fishing.

Anchor fishing with corn worms or Power Eggs are all effective baits. Drift fishing with spinners tipped with corn, worms, or Power Eggs is working as well. Little Cleo spoons and small Rouges are producing rainbows and an occasional brown trout. The only aggressive bite going are the smallmouth. Most of them are below minimum length but they do provide consistent action. Tube baits and small crank baits with some chartreuse in them is the best bet. Largemouth bass from Guion to Batesville seem to be relating to the grass. The best fishing is early and late. Scum frogs, topwaters, sinko, and floating worms will produce a few fish. Below Lock #1 a variety of fish are being caught. Minnow fishing is producing a mixed bag. You are apt to catch a stringer consisting of drum, sauger, walleye, white bass, bass, and catfish. It is a real smorgasbord. Catfishing is fair using prepared bait and chicken livers too.

Lake Charles: Powhatan Landing said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well about 2-feet deep on crickets. Crappie are biting well about 2-feet deep using minnows and jigs near brush. Bass fishing is fair using top-water lures and buzzbaits. Some bass in the 5- to 6-pound range are being taken. Catfishing is fair on rod-and-reel baited with stink bait or chicken liver.

Black River: Powhatan Landing said the lake is stained and low. Smallmouth bass and Kentucky bass are biting well. Catfishing is good using trotlines baited with stink bait and rice slicks. Also, try rod and reel fishing with live bait.

Spring River: Many Islands Camp said the river is clear and a little low. Trout fishing is good using marshmallows, Power Bait and nightcrawlers.

SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS

Lake Chicot: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine the lake is clear. Bream fishing is fair using small tube jigs and shiners. Crappie fishing is fair using wax worms near the dock or the sea walls. Bass fishing is fair using top-water lures or Slug-Gos near the dock or the sea walls. Catfishing is good using worms, chicken liver and dog food.

Grand Lake: Koenig’s Bass Tracker Marine said crappie are biting well on minnows and jigs.

Old Town Lake: Old Town Fish Camp said the lake is clear and low. Bream are biting well about 16-inches deep on wax worms and crickets near the cypress trees. Crappie fishing is fair about 3-feet deep using minnows and jigs near the cypress trees. Bass are biting fair on top-water lures and buzzbaits fished near the bank. Catfishing is good using trotlines baited with minnows set about 12-feet deep.

Lake Monticello: Outdoor Store said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well about 4-feet deep on worms and crickets near brush.

Source: AGFC

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Connecticut Sea Grant have jointly announced public meetings to gather comment on a Draft Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plan.

Meetings will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, June 29, at the Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington and at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 30, at the DEP Marine Headquarters in Old Lyme. Comments may also be submitted in writing and will be accepted until July 14, 2005. Copies of the Draft ANS plan and an Executive Summary will be available as of June 22 and can be obtained through the CT Institute of Water Resources web site (www.ctiwr.uconn.edu) or by calling the DEP Inland Fisheries Division (860-424-3474).”

“The introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance species pose a serious threat to the ecology and biodiversity of our ecosystems and to the health and economic interests of the people of the State of Connecticut,” said DEP Deputy Commissioner David K. Leff. The ANS plan lists potential invaders along with over 100 different non-native species already present in the marine and fresh waters of Connecticut.

“The impacts of ANS include degradation of habitat, spread of pathogens, choking of waterways, clogging of water intakes, fouling of water supplies and interference with recreational activities such as fishing, boating and swimming,” said Leff. The draft plan identifies nuisance species and vectors, and provides recommendations for preventing introductions and for effective monitoring and control of established populations. Gathering public comment is a required step in the process of developing a final plan that can be approved by the State and submitted to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as a prerequisite for obtaining federal funds to address ANS issues.

The draft ANS plan was prepared by a diverse working group headed by Connecticut Sea Grant, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Institute of Water Resources located at the University of Connecticut. The working group also included representatives from academia, State and Federal government agencies, lake associations, water companies, the nursery industry and the aquarium/pet trade industry.

Meeting Locations:

June 29, 7:00 pm

Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area and Conservation Education Center:
341 Milford Street (Route 69)
Burlington, CT 06013

Directions: Sessions Woods WMA and Conservation Education Center is located on Route 69, about three miles south of Route 4 in Burlington and three miles north of Route 6 in Bristol.

June 30, 7:00 pm

DEP Marine Headquarters:
333 Ferry Road
Old Lyme, CT 06371

Directions: From the North or West: Take 91 south or 9 south to 95. Head east on 95 North to exit 70. Take a right at end of exit onto Shore road (Rte 156). Go approximately 0.5 mile and take a right onto Ferry Road. Follow Ferry Road to the end where it enters the driveway of Marine HQ.

From the East: Take 95 South (heading west) to exit 70. Go straight through first two lights. At third light, take left onto Route 156. Follow above directions from 156.

Meeting will be in Conference Room B – go past the main building entrance, bear left around building and proceed back to 2nd building in the rear of main building.

Written comments should be mailed to:

DEP Inland Fisheries Division
Attn: ANS Comments
79 Elm Street, Hartford CT 06106

or e-mailed to dep.inland.fisheries@po.state.ct.us

Beaver Lake: Southtown Sporting Goods said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well from 4- to 10-feet deep on crickets. Crappie and white bass are biting well from 12- to 15-feet deep on minnows and shad.

Night fishing for crappie or white bass is also good trolling Hot ‘n’ Tots. Bass fishing is fair to good from 2- to 30-feet deep using top-water lures early and small soft-plastic worms in the day. Bass fishing at night is also good using a black single-bladed spinner bait or large plastic worms in red-shad. Catfishing is good using trotlines, jugs or limb lines baited with goldfish.

Lake Fayetteville: Lake Fayetteville Boat Dock said the lake is murky but at normal pool. Bream are biting well from 10- to 12-feet deep on worms and crickets on the flats. Bass are biting well on spinner baits, crankbaits and top-water lures near rocky points. Catfishing is fair using worms and chicken liver.

Lake Sequoyah: Lake Sequoyah Boat Dock said the lake is clear and at normal pool. Bream are biting well from 5- to 6-feet deep on worms and crickets fished near brush, stumps and weed beds. Crappie fishing is poor from 6- to 8-feet deep. Bass fishing is good from 5- to 6-feet deep using spinner baits, top-water lures and buzzbaits. Catfishing is poor.

Beaver Tailwaters: Beaver Dam Store said fishing was tough last week, but more than a few fishermen went home with plenty of trout. Seems the trout are huddled up for the most part, rather than scattered about. Chartreuse Power Bait, wax worms and salmon eggs worked well. Fishing is more productive in early morning or late afternoon. Super Dupers and Little Cleos are working well. Some good fly patterns are Copper Johns in red or chartreuse (sizes 16 to 18), partridge and yellow soft hackles (sizes 14 to 16), Red Ass (sizes 16 to 18), Renegades (sizes 16 to 18), Griffith’s Gnat (sizes 18 to 20), Scuds in orange or tan (sizes 14 to 16) and Caddis Pupa in cream (size 16).

White bass fishing is very good at night under a light near Point 5 and other white bass areas. Temperatures are hitting the low 80s, and black bass are biting from 20- to 25-feet deep, but they may be shallower at night. McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been coming on in the afternoon, providing plenty of wading during the morning hours. All of the recent high water has produced some fat and healthy trout that are eager to bite. Scuds and sow bugs, as well as midge pupa patterns, have been the most productive. Soft-hackle action is starting to heat up as well. The best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in gray and olive (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Rojo Midge (size 22), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), March Brown Spider (size 14) and Red Ass (size 16).

Buffalo River: Ozark Outfitters said the river is clear and low. Bream fishing is excellent from 4- to 6-feet deep using worms near rocky points. Bass fishing is excellent from 6- to 8-feet deep using black-and-white spinner baits and top-water lures near rocky points. Catfishing is good at night using worms and chicken liver.

Kings River: Kings River Outfitters said the river is low. Smallmouth bass are hitting green pumpkin and watermelon soft plastics fished on the bottom around chunk rock. Rebel Crawdad crankbaits are also taking quite a few on gravel shoals next to deep water. Rock bass are starting to make nests and can be taken on grubs and small crankbaits. Look for shallow gravel drops adjacent to deep banks. Catfish can be caught on night crawlers and liver fished around deep boulders.

Source: AGFC

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) today announced five regional town hall meetings designed to give recreational anglers a voice on where hatchery-raised trout are most wanted, and which types of trout are most desirable.

DFG plans to use this input to improve the efficiency of its trout hatcheries. The scheduled meetings, times and locations are:

• OAKLAND - Wed., June 29, from 7 - 10 p.m., at the Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium, 1515 Clay St., Oakland;
• FRESNO - Thu., July 7, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., at the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District Board Chambers, 5469 E. Olive Ave., Fresno;
• REDDING - Mon., July 18, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., Redding City Hall Community Room, 777 Cypress Ave., Redding;
• DANA POINT - Tue., Aug. 2, from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., Dana Point Community Center, 34052 Del Obispo Road, Dana Point;
• MAMMOTH LAKES - Thu., Aug. 11, from 7 - 10 p.m., Mammoth Lakes Community Center, 1000 Forest Trail Dr., Mammoth Lakes.

In addition to the town hall meetings, members of the public have until Aug. 31 to comment on the hatchery system or fish stocking program by e-mailing comments to DFG Director Ryan Broddrick at director@dfg.ca.gov, submitting comments to the DFG Web site at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/fh/hatcheryplan.html, or posting a letter to DFG Director Ryan Broddrick at 1416 Ninth St., 12th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

To learn more about the DFG’s public outreach effort to improve the hatchery system, visit the DFG hatchery Web page at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/fh/hatcheryplan.html.

White River: Gaston’s White River Resort said the river is clear and at normal pool. There were two generators running on Saturday. Trout fishing is excellent using Little Cleos in gold, Buoyant Spoons in gold-and-red and Power Eggs in yellow or white. In low water, try using nightcrawlers, worms, gray sow bugs or olive Wooly Buggers.

Bull Shoals Tailwater: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has slacked off some this week, providing some low water wading opportunities. After all the recent high water, the trout are used to eating a lot. In the faster riffles and runs, drift a scud, sow bug, mayfly nymph or caddis pupa under a strike indicator and hold on. Caddis action is still hot on the White River, so be sure to have plenty of caddis pupa, as well as dries, in your fly box.

Source: AGFC

The best flies have been: zebra-and-black or olive Rubber-leg Copper John (sizes 14 to 18), McLellan’s Woven V-Rib Sow bug (sizes 14 to 16), McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 14 to 16) Graphic Caddis in tan and olive (sizes 14 to 18), Z-Wing Caddis (sizes 14 to 16), Caddis Larva (sizes 14 to 16), Elk Hair Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), E-Z Caddis (sizes 14 to 18), Red Fox Squirrel Nymph (sizes 12 to 16), Rag Sculpin (size 6), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4), Swimming Jimmy (size 4) White Zonker (size 6), Arkansas Conehead (size 6), San Juan Worms (size 10) and Micro Eggs (size 14).

North Fork River: McLellan’s Fly Shop said generation has been more sporadic lately on the Norfork, but there have been some good wading opportunities during the morning hours. With all the recent high water, the trout are fat and full of fight. Several fat brook trout have been seen just below Norfork Dam. During low water, concentrate your nymph fishing on the faster runs and riffles and tie on a size 16 Skip Nymph or Flashback Pheasant Tail. During high-water conditions, streamer fishing has also been excellent from a boat (especially on overcast days).

The best flies have been: McLellan’s Hunchback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 14 to 16), Flashback Scud in tan, olive and gray (sizes 12 to 16), McLellan’s Woven Sow Bug (sizes 14 to 16), Graphic Caddis in tan and olive (sizes 14 to 18), Skip Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Flashback Pheasant Tail Nymph (sizes 16 to 20), Beadhead Hare’s Ear Nymph (sizes 14 to 18), Mercury Brassie (sizes 18 to 20), Rojo Midge (size 22), Mercury Blood Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Red Jujubee Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Johnny Flash (sizes 20 to 24), Mercury Black Beauty (sizes 20 to 22), Gray Mercury Midge (sizes 20 to 22), Black Wooly Sculpin (size 4), Articulated Zoo Cougar (size 4) and Swimming Jimmy (size 4).

Bull Shoals Lake: Wilderness Trail said the water temperature is 81.8 degrees and the lake clarity is around 15 feet. The lake level this week is 653.08 feet. The thermocline is stable at 36 feet. Crappie fishing has slowed some during the daylight hours this week, but the early evening and night crappie bite has picked up. Crappie cribs and watersheds are holding schools of crappie. The best baits are live crappie minnows on colored jigheads and Bobby Garland Swimming Minnows in pearl, smoke and Blue Thunder.

Largemouth bass have been active early in the morning in the backs of the creeks and in the cuts and pockets. Try using buzzbaits or Zara Spooks. Football jigs and Carolina rigs are starting to pick up during the daylight hours on drop offs around chunk rock and secondary points. Smallmouths are moving off the pea rock banks and points, and possibly positioning themselves in rocky areas for shad and crawfish. There will be a full moon and a crawfish hatch this week. Jerkbaits, grubs and jigworms are working on the roaming smallmouths. Tube baits started to pick up around chunk rock banks over the weekend and some early morning top-water action has been seen. Kentucky bass remain with the shad, about 20 feet down, halfway back in the creeks, on cliff ends and in the middle of main lake pockets. A few Kentuckies have been taken on spoons fished under the shad in 30 feet of water. Mojo rigs are also starting to produce nice Kentuckies with centipedes or finesse worms.

Walleye are still inside of 28 feet feeding on sunfish and shad. Ledge banks and chunk rock points are good places to look for feeding walleye in the mornings. Fish crawler harnesses or leeches behind bottom bouncers in the 20- to 26-foot range and pull them from 0.6 miles per hour to 0.9 miles per hour. Long liners are catching a few on Glass Shads and Reef Runners between 27- to 30-feet deep around points. Nighttime walleye are active and striking X-Raps and Suspending Rogues on points from 9 p.m. to midnight. Main lake points are producing the nicer walleye. The bite is very slow until 9 p.m., then the bass are moving up on the banks and feeding on crawfish. Jig ‘n’ pig combos, Texas-rigged worms, Brush Hogs and tube baits are all working well.

White River: Wilderness Trail said fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. The Berkley Power Egg bite has been good in yellow, white and pink. Fish are also biting well on Belgium red worms. With generation, Buoyant Spoons, Roostertails and Blue Fox spinners are the baits of choice. The fly fishermen did well on olive Woolly Buggers, tungsten beadhead midges, sow bugs and scuds. Brown trout are being caught on Suspending Rogues, Countdowns and nightcrawlers. Sugar Loaf Harbor said the lake is clear and low. Crappie are biting well from 20- to 25-feet deep on minnows and jigs near brush. Bass fishing is excellent from 13- to 20-feet deep using top-water lures and jigs near brush.

Lake Norfork: Cranfield Junction Quik Stop said the lake is clear and normal. Bream are biting well about 15-feet deep using red worms and crickets. Crappie fishing is fair about 20-feet deep using live minnows and jigs near brush piles. Bass fishing is fair to good using plastic worms, jigs and single spins at night. Stripers are biting fair trolling with live shad. Walleye are biting fair on crawler harnesses or trolling about 20-feet deep. Catfishing is good using jugs or trotlines.