What Does Fishing Mean To Our Economy

Would you believe that sportsmen, that's people who hunt and fish, could fill every NFL and Major League Baseball Stadium, as well as every NASCAR track 6 times over. Or that if sportsmen were a corporation, they would rank #11 on the Fortune 500 list, above Home Depot™ and AT&T™. And, that sportsmen support more jobs than Wal-Mart™ - the country’s largest employer. Pretty amazing isn't it.

The Congressional Sportsman's Foundation recently released a new report titled "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy." There are 30 million anglers in the U.S., which is one out of ten people. Their total expenditures in 2006 were $42 billion. Spending by hunters and anglers is more than the combined revenues of Microsoft™, Google™, eBay™ and Yahoo™ ($76 billion vs. $73.6 billion). Anglers support more than 1 million jobs. Okay enough with the numbers. I think you get the point, hunting and fishing has a tremendous impact on our economy. (I certainly spent my fair share and it was well worth it.)

The Congressional Sportsman's Foundation is an organization whose mission is to serve as the sportsmen's link to congress. The organization will make sure we always have places and opportunities to hunt and fish. I am pleased that they are looking after things for us on Capitol Hill. Go to the Congressional Sportsman's Foundation website to learn more. You can also look up the data on your particular state and see how it compares to others.

Fishing With A Drop Shot Rig

Using a drop shot rig has gained popularity lately as a freshwater fishing technique. After the spring spawn many fish go to much deeper water, especially in warm summer months in deep lakes and this is where the drop shot is needed. Many of the bass pros have used drop shotting effectively to score well and win tournaments; however don't think it is only for bass. The drop shot is one of the best multi-species rigs there is. A drop shot works best in water depth of 10 feet or more where fish are suspended off the bottom. It can be used in depths up to 50 or 60 feet. First, use your fish finder to establish their depth; then rig your drop shot to put your bait at the depth where the fish are.

For example, if the water depth is 20 feet and you detect fish at 17 feet, rig the hook on the drop shot 3 feet above the weight. The typical drop shot is rigged with either a drop shot hook or a standout hook tied with a palomar knot (in the example above) 3 feet from the end of the line where the weight is tied off. If the fish are suspended at 4 feet, place the hook 4 feet from the weight. It is important to use a weight heavy enough to stay in contact with the bottom. The diagram below demonstrates the rig with a regular hook.

Below is a diagram using a standout hook. Personally, I prefer the standout hook. It seems to provide better positioning and action for the bait. Fishing the rig is simple, just let it drop to the bottom then gently raise and lower the rod tip slightly to give the bait a little action. Berkley Gulp scented minnows work great as bait. Live minnows of course works well too.

The drop shot rig is deadly. If you haven't tried it, I hope I have explained it well enough for you to begin using this productive technique. All of the supplies needed are available from Bass Pro Shops. For your convenience I have placed a link below.

A Guide To Fly Fishing From An 8 Year Old

Learn about fly fishing from an 8 year old author named Tyler Befus of Colorado. Tyler landed his first trout on a fly rod at the ripe old age of 3, so at 8 he is quite the veteran. Whether you ever go fly fishing or not, you'll enjoy the book. It is just inspiring to think that it was written by a fine member of an up and coming generation. It is also nice to know that young people today enjoy fishing as much as I did when I was a kid.

In the book Tyler states that what he likes best about about fishing is the time he gets to spend with his family in the outdoors. I still believe that the family that fishes together stays together. The book not only shares Tyler's 8 year old wisdom, but also shares some of the more technical points of fly fishing like selecting the right equipment and flies. The book is a great read for adults or kids. I have included a link below to Barnes and Noble where it can be purchased.

Kid's Guide to Fly Fishing

Merry Christmas

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In many respects this has been a great year and in other respects it has been a very challenging year for me. I encourage you to count your blessing and remember the reason for the season. I'll provide many more informational posts in the coming months and look forward to beginning a new year. But for now, enjoy the holidays.

God Bless!!!

New Insulated Ice Fishing Shelter From Frabill

We started this fall warmer than normal; however winter is shaping up to be a banner season for ice fishing. December has been much colder than in recent years so ice fishing has begun earlier and so far it looks like it will be a great year for ice fishermen.

Ice fishermen will be interested to know that Frabill, one of the leading manufacturer of products for ice fishing, has developed an insulated ice fishing shelter with hard core ice fishing in mind. Using the 3M product Thinsulate, the shelter walls retain much more heat than traditional materials as well as protect who ever is inside from the elements. And of course the material is flame resistant. There is a considerable amount of product research on the insulating capacity on their website. The shelters are portable and available in 2 person and 3 person models. See all of the details at www.r2-tec.com. With accommodations like this, ice fishing may become more popular.

FLW Outdoors Fantasy Fishing $1 Million Payout

Okay this is unbelievable. I just learned that FLW Outdoors Fantasy Fishing will offer the largest prize in fantasy sports game history of any kind. The $1 million purse is unprecedented. FLW Fantasy Fishing is free, participants can log on to FantasyFishing.com to enter for their chance to win $1.7 million in cash prizes. In addition, thousands of participants will have the opportunity to win prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars including boats, vehicles, ATVs, personal watercrafts, gift cards and much more.

Participants can sign up now, begin selecting their teams January 15th, and the contest concludes Aug. 14-17 at the Forrest Wood Cup in Columbia, S.C. There are 7 tournaments, and you can win $100,000 at each of the tournaments. Not only that, at season's end, the top player with the most cumulative points will win a record $1 million. Now that's what I call Fantasy Fishing.

For more information and to sign up click here.

Governor Huckabee Recognized for Support of Fishing

I am not going to endorse any of the Presidential candidates; however I want to point out that Gov. Mike Huckabee was recently recognized by Outdoor Life magazine for his support of hunting and fishing in his home state of Arkansas. Huckabee helped pass Amendment 75 which is known as the "Conservation Amendment." He pushed forward the bill which provides about $26 million annually to AGFC (Arkansas Game and Fish Commission). He also established programs to introduce more kids to fishing. Huckabee is an avid fisherman though he enjoys hunting also.

It is nice to see candidates who understand the importance of promoting and preserving one of the greatest assets our country has - the great outdoors. I am going to do some research and learn the position of the other candidates on this topic and let you know what I find out.

Planning Your Next Fishing Vacation

Planning your next fishing vacation to a new or unfamiliar destination can be a disaster if not planned properly. There is a lot that can go wrong if you don't do your homework including lousy fishing, accommodations not being what you expected, or the cost being greater than anticipated. As you plan your fishing trip, here are some decisions you should make upfront:

• Where would you like to go, what part of the country, drive or fly, etc.
• Who is going with you, family, fishing buddies, etc.
• Will you use a travel agent or make the arrangements on your own

There are several retailers that are now providing travel services that you may want to consider. They include Orvis, Cabela's, and Gander Mountain. A good resource for fly fishing is Yellow Dog Fly Fishing Adventures. Before you begin you should at least check these out to get some ideas. Trips like this certainly make it easy for you. The only downside is that they generally cost a little more (though not always) and they may not offer the flexibility you would like.

Another excellent tool is a vacation planning web site called "I'm In". "I'm In" is a helpful site if you are planning a trip with friends. I have included a link at the bottom of this post.

The best piece of advice I can give you is - if you are going to a new fishing location, solicit unsolicited references. Do some internet research and find a couple of nearby bait and tackle shops. Give them a call and ask about the fishing, the accommodations you are considering, and ask about guides if you will use a fishing guide.

A little bit of homework can make a big difference in the quality and cost of your next fishing vacation.


Orvis Fishing Vacations