Bring Your Passport To Fish Lake Erie

On the front page of today's USA Today there is an article about the Homeland Security Department requiring fishermen who cross over into Canadian waters to possess a passport or two other forms of ID. Not only that, but they will require them to go to a local government reporting station when they return to shore. Charter boats would also be required to fax in passenger's personal information to be screened against the terrorist watch list prior to leaving shore.

Needless to say Lake Erie's 600 plus charter boat captains are not happy about this because the geography of the lake means the best fish are often over the invisible Canadian line. They fear this new regulation will severely impact Lake Erie's charter fishing industry.

Towns With World Class Hunting and Fishing

Outdoor Life magazine has identified their top 200 towns for outdoorsmen. Today more and more people are opting for quality of life over other many other factors as they select a place to live. The magazine states that "Demographers say America's small towns are disappearing as youngsters migrate to cities for work or college, then move to suburbs to raise families. But our research indicates that small towns are thriving, especially those trade centers with populations between 5,000 and 15,000. These are the places where rural landscapes abut the city limits, where wildlife habitat is healthy and intact, where there are plenty of "retail therapy" opportunities. And where you can always find a 'hunter's breakfast' on the cafe menu."

OL's staff evaluated towns with a population over 4000 people. They rated them from a hunting and fishing perspective as well as on the overall quality of life the towns offered. Some of the factors considered were the growth rate of the local economy, the unemployment rate, the degree of taxation, the time it takes to commute to work, the crime rate, housing prices, median household income and even the variety of cultural opportunities within easy driving distance.

The top ten towns were: Mountain Home, AR; Lewiston, ID; Sheridan, WY; Cody, WY; Pocatello, ID; Lewistown, MT; Marquette, MI; Dillon, MT; Page, AZ; and Bismarck, ND. For a complete listing of the top 200 towns for the outdoorsman click here.

New Fishing Products For 2008

There have been more new products introduced this year than I can ever remember. Everything from Berkley Gulp Alive to the Kong family of hard plastic baits and fishing rods made out of carrots. It also seems like there are new manufacturers emerging with new, innovative products. This is very good for the industry, but best of all it is great for us fishermen. Fishermen enjoy the challenge of developing and using new products and learning about the new technology of the sport. That's just part of who we are.

Click here to view many of this year's new fishing products.

New Again Video Happy Easter

I came across this video the other day and thought I would share it with you on this Easter Day. Brad Pasley is one of my favorite artists.



HAPPY EASTER!

New Dry Hands Minnow Bucket

Here is another great new product invention. The truly innovative Dry Hands Minnow Bucket is uniquely designed and patented to give the live bait fisherman a new experience in fishing. He can now use live bait without ever having to reach his hand into the minnow bucket water. Minnows will live longer and stay more lively without a fisherman's hands constantly reaching into the bucket. The Dry Hands Minnow Bucket is a revolution in the professional fishing world. This patented design acts as a minnow bucket to keep your bait alive and will allow you to dispense a minnow into your hand when needed. The Dry Hands Minnow Bucket is very easy to operate and only uses the power of two D cell batteries. You can learn more by visiting their website at www.dryhandsminnowbucket.com.

World Fly Fishing Championships Begin

New Zealand will serve as the host of the 28th FIPS-Mouche World Fly Fishing Championships beginning March 22, 2008. The Championships will be held in the Rotorua region of the North Island of New Zealand. Rotorua is at the heart of NZ's geothermal area and the region abounds in hot pools, wonderful geothermal scenic areas and of course, many of New Zealand's well known fishing lakes and rivers.

Legend has it that New Zealand was fished from the sea. The fact is that New Zealand was the last land mass on earth to be discovered making it the youngest country on earth. It is a beautiful country and is proud of its many excellent fly fishing venues.

The United States will be represented by Fly Fishing Team USA. Click on the link to learn more about them. Follow the daily results of the event on the World Fly Fishing Championships website. Below you will see the Waihou River, one of the beautiful rivers which will serve as a location for tournament fly fishermen. Good luck Fly Fishing Team USA.

Custom Hand Tied Flys Made In The USA

Meet Debbie. She is the talent behind the new business Flys By Design. You can check out her website at www.flysbydesign.net. She has certainly mastered the skill. When I asked her how she got involved in fly tying, she said it was because her husband started fly fishing and found the flys he purchased from a major fishing store (I will not mention the name) to be cheap and not colorful enough to attract fish. So, they started tying their own flys. She found that she was much better at tying flys than her husband.

When his fishermen friends began to ask where he got his flys and wanted her to make some for them, her business was born. If you are looking for some excellent hand tied or custom flys, you should check out Flys By Design, made in the good ol' USA.

Make Your Own Fishing Lures and Tackle

If you would like to make some of your own tackle, you need to have a copy of this book. The Complete Book of Tackle Making is the reference of choice for builders of fine tackle and casual craftsmen alike. Twenty-seven chapters and helpful appendixes include everything readers need to know about tools, spinners, bucktails, jigs, sinkers, plastic lures and plugs, wire leaders, painting and finishing methods, basic and advanced rod building, basic and decorative wraps, necessary knots and splices, tackle care and repair, suppliers and manufacturers, and much more. With over seven hundred photographs and clear, step-by-step instruction throughout, this is a book that can save fishermen thousands of dollars - an invaluable resource for any tackle tinkerer. Click on the link below to learn more and to purchase.

Complete Book of Tackle Making

Great New Fishing Lure Spin Tail Shad

The new Spin Tail Shad from Storm Lures with its excellent flash and vibration comes in a 3- and 4-inch version. The new lure features a spinning blade on the tail and a single dorsal hook. Although the Storm website also has a version with both a dorsal hook and a trailing tail treble hook. The tail spinner adds the enhanced flash and vibration that you need sometimes to get fish to strike. The lure swims shallow at slow speeds featuring an ultra clear durable soft outerbody. It is weighted internally, for ideal swimming action and should be great for all species. It comes 3 per pack.

I think Storm has a winner with their new Spin Tail Shad. Click here to learn more and to purchase.

FLW Fantasy Fishing's 1st Payout

Back in December I shared the incredible $1.7 million fantasy fishing payout offered by FLW Outdoors. Well, they have their first winner. Christopher Toring of Minneapolis, Minnesota won the first $100,000 payout. An admitted newcomer to professional bass fishing, Toring was shocked to find out he reeled in the inaugural $100,000 first prize awarded in conjunction with his fantasy team’s performance at the prestigious Lake Toho Tournament, the first stop on the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Tour.

“I can’t believe it, I’m the last guy you’d think would win $100,000 playing this game,” said Toring. “I’ll tell you, the Player’s Advantage program that’s offered makes it real easy to pick the right pros. I’m now gunning for the $1 million grand prize and I’m going to need the edge Player’s Advantage gives me.”

“What a great start to the FLW Fantasy Fishing season; the response and reaction to this game has been phenomenal,” said Irwin Jacobs, chairman of FLW Outdoors, creators of FLW Fantasy Fishing. “Offering over $7.3 million in cash and prizes is an amazing milestone in fantasy sports; we can’t wait to award the next $100,000 prize for our tournament in Birmingham, Ala., starting April 3.”

Over 4,000 prizes totaling as much as $7.3 million will be awarded during the course of the FLW Fantasy Fishing season. In addition to millions in cash, other prizes like Ranger Boats; a Chevy Silverado; Yamaha and BRP ATVs and personal watercrafts; hundreds of thousands of dollars in Wal-Mart gift cards; tens of thousands of dollars of free BP gasoline and more will be awarded to the players with the highest point totals earned based on the placement of their team of 10 professional anglers for each tournament.

For more information go to www.flwoutdoors.com.

Floating Sunglasses for Fishing and Boating

Give your eyes the protection from glare that they deserve and need. FishGillz have a sleek, polymer wrap frame that is both fashionable and durable for any activity. The wide temples provide extra protection from the elements, and the patented Micro-Filter® Lens Technology eliminates glare and harmful UVA sunlight. Built for functionality and fit, FishGillz are made to suit the needs of even the most extreme sporting enthusiasts.

*Every pair of FishGillz sunglasses comes with a padded, nylon zipper case, emblazoned with the famous FishGillz Logo, that will protect your sunglasses for years...The case floats too!! Six styles available. Click below to learn more and to purchase.

New Bass Fishing Picture Frame

New and in stock at Crazy Fisherman are these Bass Fishing Picture Frames. They hold a 4" X 6" photo and are made of durable poly resin material. These picture frames will make a great gift for a bass fisherman who needs a way to display the lunker he or she caught. They are listed on the gifts page of the website. The cost of these new picture frames is $18.00.

Don't miss out on the memories!