Piranha Like Fish Caught In Colorado

While fishing in the Smith Reservoir in Lakewood, Colorado, 18 year old Travis Smith caught a fish with quite a bite. He first thought it may be a piranha, but realized that there are not supposed to be piranhas in Colorado. The teeth in the mouth of the fish were not what you would normally find in a fish here in the US.

Travis and his father investigated on the internet and sent photos of the fish to the Colorado DNR to determine extactly what species this mysterious fish was. It was identified as a "pacu", which is a South American fish related to a piranha. Representatives from the DNR stated that it was probably purchased for someone's aquarium and later put in the lake.

Travis has frozen the fish and is not sure what he will do with it.

Fishing is always full of surprises.

Top Brands of Fishing Tackle Survey Results

Southwick Associates, a consumer research firm specializing in the field of fishing and hunting, recently released their latest data related to the top brands of fishing tackle. These results were compiled from surveys from 16,258 anglers through AnglerSurvey.com in 2007. Here are the results:

Top rod brand: Shakespeare Ugly Stik (16.7% of all purchases)
- Top reel brand: Shimano (18.1% of all purchases)
- Top rod and reel combo brand: Shakespeare (20.9% of all purchases)
- Top fly rod brand: Orvis (17.5% of all purchases)
- Top fishing line brand: Berkley (Trilene, Fireline, Big Game and Vanish (38.5% of all purchases)
- Top hardbait brand: Rapala (25.6% of all purchases)
- Top softbait brand: Zoom (15.9% of all purchases)
- Top spinnerbait brand: Strike King (21.3% of all purchases)
- Top hook brand: Gamakatsu (30% of all purchases)
- Top sinker brand: Bullet Weights (20.1% of all purchases)
- Top fly line brand: Scientific Anglers (25.7% of all purchases)
- Top fly brand: Orvis (12.6% of all purchases)
- Top electronics: Lowrance (55.5% of all radio or GPS and 35% of all fish finder purchases)
- Top tackle box brand: Plano (50.3% of all purchases)
- Top fishing knife brand: Rapala (46.4% of all purchases)

You can participate in an upcoming survey by going to www.anglersurvey.com.

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.

America's Top 20 Fishing Towns

The February 2008 issue of Field & Stream Magazine features the top 20 fishing towns in America. Field & Stream polled the nation’s top angling professionals to determine the list, comprised of towns with populations of 100,000 or less. Editor of the magazine, Anthony Licata, says these are the best places to live if you live to fish. Towns were judged on the availability of year-round fishing opportunities, cost of living, fishing culture and outdoor related economy, quality of life and diversions other than fishing.

Field & Streams top 20 are:
1. Glenwood Springs, Colo.
2. Mountain Home, Ark.
3. Traverse City, Mich.
4. Bozeman, Mont.
5. Minocqua, Wis.
6. Apalachicola, Fla.
7. Nantucket, Mass.
8. Bend, Ore.
9. Guntersville, Ala.
10. Morehead City, N.C.
11. Missoula, Mont.
12. Ely, Minn.
13. Page, Ariz.
14. Driggs, Idaho
15. Jasper, Texas
16. Tahlequah, Okla.
17. Beaufort, S.C.
18. Eufaula, Ala.
19. Redding, Calif.
20. Montauk, N.Y

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.

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.

The Giant Fish Pirarucu Makes A Comeback

Okay here is your science lesson for today. You have probably never heard of a pirarucu. Well, since it is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world it's time for you to learn. Native to Lake Santo Antonio in northwestern Brazil, fishing for the pirarucu has been banned for the last three years to allow the species to reproduce and grow. It must have worked. With the recent lifting of the ban, fishermen caught 19 pirarucu in five days; a total catch weighing in at 980 kilograms, just slightly within the regulated limit.

More about the pirarucu:
It can grow up to 10 ft long and weighs around 400 lb. This size is small compared to the documented size about 100 years ago which was 15 ft (4.6 m). This fish has a flat bony head, followed by an elongated body which is scaly. Its tail is short and stumpy. The color of this fish is begins with a copperish green at the head then to a darker blue-green which fades at the white belly. The fins at the edge of the tail are a reddish color. The pirarucu is an air breather and is one of the most sought after food fish in South America.

More Information from the National Survey Trends

A comparison of estimates of the 2006 and 2001 Surveys reveals that millions of Americans continue to enjoy wildlife recreation.

Fishing — Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime. In 2001, 13% of the U.S. population 16 years old and older spent an average of 17 days fishing. Comparing results of the 2006 Survey and 2001 Surveys reveals that although the number of all anglers declined 12%, their expenditures for fishing equipment (rods, reels, etc.) and fishing trips increased 5% and 7%, respectively. There were drops in expenditures for auxiliary equipment (special clothing, tents, etc.) and special equipment (big ticket items such as boats) by -14% and -12%, respectively.

The biggest declines in fishing participation were Great Lakes fishing which dropped 23% and Saltwater fishing which dropped 15%. Excluding the Great Lakes, freshwater fishing participation decreased by 10%.

Hunting — Five percent of the U.S. population 16 years old and older, 12.5 million people, hunted in 2006. They spent an average of 18 days pursuing their sport. The number of all hunters declined by 4% from 2001 to 2006 and there was a 3% drop in overall expenditures (not a statistically significant change).

Although the total number of hunters declined from 2001 to 2006, the number of big game hunters held their own. The biggest declines were in migratory bird hunting (-22%) and small animal hunting (-12%).

As in the case of fishing expenditures, expenditures for hunting equipment (firearms, ammunition, etc.) actually increased 3%, as did hunting trips which rose by 13%. The biggest drop in expenditures was for special equipment—big ticket items like trucks and cabins—which declined by 30%.

Wildlife Watching — Thirty-one percent of the U.S. population 16 years old and older fed, observed, or photographed wildlife in 2006. These wildlife watchers increased in number by 8% from 2001 to 2006. Their expenditures for trips, equipment, and other items increased 2%.

From 2001 to 2006, expenditures for wildlife-watching equipment (binoculars, cameras, etc.) increased by 20% and for wildlife-watching trips by 40%.

Due to changes in methodology, the estimates from the 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 Surveys cannot be compared with estimates from previous Surveys. Just interesting facts to think about.

National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation

Every five years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a survey to learn more about the number of participants in fishing, hunting, and wildlife watching (observing, photographing, and feeding wildlife), and the amount of time and money spent on these activities.

Here are the survey survey highlights:
Over 87 million U.S. residents 16 years old and older fished, hunted, or wildlife watched in 2006. During that year, 29.9 million people fished, 12.5 million hunted, and 71.1 million participated in at least one type of wildlife-watching activity including observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife.

Wildlife recreationists' avidity was reflected in their spending which totaled over $120 billion in 2006. This amounted to 1% of the United States GDP. Of the total amount spent, $37 billion was for trips, $64 billion for equipment, and $16 billion for other items.

Sportspersons spent a total of $75 billion in 2006—$41 billion on fishing, $23 billion on hunting, and $11 billion on items used for both hunting and fishing. Wildlife watchers spent $45 billion on trips, equipment, and other items.

There is no doubt that this type of outdoor recreation has a huge impact on our economy. More trends to come tomorrow.

Fishing and Playing In The Woods Improves Test Scores In Kids

This is something that every parent needs to read, but especially parents who enjoy the outdoors so they can be ambassadors for the message. Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder, says today's kids are increasingly disconnected from the natural world and this has harmful effects. A 2002 study of 8 years olds found that they could identify Pokemon characters more easily than they could name otters, beetles, or oak trees.

He states that not only can nature teach children about science, but it also improves a child's creativity. New research shows that connection to nature offers a powerful therapy for depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder, and environmental education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade point averages. It also develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making.

To listen to a short audio clip from an NPR radio interview with the author click here.

What is a Goby - The Popular Soft Plastic Fishing Bait

The Goby has become quite popular as a soft plastic fishing bait. I never really new what a Goby was until I recently read an article from Science News about about it. Let me tell you it is a bad little fish. It is a European fish that was first discovered in the St. Clair River near Detroit in 1990. It now populates all five Great Lakes and apparently reproduces rapidly. It probably hitched across the Atlantic in the ballast of a freighter. The good news is they have an appetite for zebra mussels (and the teeth to back it up). The bad news is they are bottom dwellers and eat the fish eggs of anything sharing their habitat which includes walleye, smallmouth bass, and perch. More good news is that they are often found in the bellies of game fish which means they are good bait. There is an extensive effort to control the Goby population in the Great Lakes and to keep them from spreading to other waters.

Now you know what a Goby is and you learned it right here. Click here to learn more from Science News.

Giant Squid - Fisherman's Friend or Foe

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute just released a study to be published in the July 31, 2007 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about the Humboldt squid which is invading the seas off the coast of central California. This species of squid grows up to 7 feet long, can weigh up to 100 pounds, and hunts in packs of hundreds. And did I mention it can move through the water at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Over the last five years the Humboldt squid has moved from equatorial waters and is now found near San Diego and Los Angeles where hundreds have washed up on beaches. The article explain why this has happened.

Fishermen, being the sportsman they are, are now fishing for them because they fight like marlins. Some chefs are cooking them like calamari. As a matter of fact, some charter boat captains see squid fishing as an opportunity grow their income. On one hand, these squid feed on the fish commercial fishermen depend on. On the other hand, it has given sport and recreational fishermen a new challenge. Read more about the study here.