Delta Area Opened Once Again to Sportfishing

This just in from Captain Keith:

"AS OF 6PM yesterday....... I FEEL AS IF I JUST FOUND MY LOST CHILD, THAT HAS BEEN MISSING FOR THREE MONTHS. Great news and along with that news, the first fishing report to come out of previously closed waters. Dave Iverson a friend of mine that was fishing today made a short 45 minute drift across SE Pass ( Previously Closed ) and caught seven BULL REDS between 30 and 42lbs. He told me it was unbelievable the number of big fish he saw busting mullet out of the water...I really don't think I'm being premature in saying --- IT'S ON --- and the fish seem to be in a feeding frenzy! Anyone interested in fishing , basically virgin waters, let me know ASAP...Remember --- These fish have not seen a fishing lure in three months !!! Thank you for your patience during these trying times...... Capt.Keith Kennedy

ICAST 2010 Continues Tradition as World's Largest Sportfishing Trade Show

Global sportfishing industry converges on the Las Vegas Convention Center


July 16, 2010 - Las Vegas, Nev. - The world's largest sportfishing trade show once again was host to more than 7,200 representatives of the sportfishing industry during the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, held July 14-16, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. ICAST, produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the sportfishing industry's trade association, is the cornerstone of the sportfishing industry, helping to driving sportfishing companies' product sales year round and is the showcase for the latest innovations in fishing gear, accessories and apparel.

ICAST 2010 featured 413 exhibitors filling 1,223 booths. More than 2,200 buyers and more than 525 media representatives were at the show along with 900 attendees from 63 countries represented.

"Our commitment to fishing makes our industry so much more than a collection of businesses. It's also a lively, creative, passion-driven community," said ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman. "Each year, thousands of sportfishing representatives from around the globe attend the show, reinforcing the value of doing business at ICAST."

Nussman further said, "On behalf of ASA's Board of Directors and the ASA staff, I want to thank our member exhibitors, sponsors, buyers, media, manufacturers' representatives and everyone who participated in this year's show and helped make it such a success. I look forward to seeing everyone back in Las Vegas next year for ICAST 2011."

During the annual State of the Industry Breakfast on Wednesday, July 14, ASA launched KeepAmericaFishing™ , a renewed effort to unite the industry and our nation's 60 million anglers with one voice. In their remarks, Nussman and Jeff Pontius, ASA's Board of Diectors Chairman and ZEBCO Brands President said that anglers and the industry will work to keep our nation's waterways open, clean and abundant with fish. The past 10 years have seen a dramatic increase in bans on recreational fishing. The results have the potential to affect every retailer, manufacturer and sportfishing-dependent business in our industry. Remarks from Nussman and Jeff Pontius, ASA's Chairman of the Board, are available on ICASTfishing.org. Visit www.KeepAmericaFishing.org™ for more information.

The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and ASA presented the prestigious Homer Circle Fishing Communicator Award was presented to outdoor writer and conservation supporter Robert Montgomery during the New Product Showcase Preview Reception on the evening of July 13. "Robert has been a strong advocate for conserving our nation's fisheries and for ensuring that all anglers, novice and avid alike, become more knowledgeable about the issues facing recreational fishing," added Nussman. "This is a well-deserved honor."

ICAST's Flagship Feature - New Product Showcase Best of Show Awards
Making up a special section of ICAST's 400,000-square-foot show floor, the New
Product Showcase provides special visibility for the industry's latest innovations in gear and accessories. In 2010, 210 companies entered 750 of the industry's newest innovations in gear and accessories in the New Product Showcase, ICAST's flagship feature. All the products in the New Product Showcase are entered into the "Best of Show" competition where buyers and credentialed media judged each product based on its level of innovation, execution, workmanship and practicality to select "Best of Show" honors in 17 categories, as well as the overall "Best of Show" winner.

This year, the G.Loomis NRX, was voted by buyers and media as the most innovative product in the ICAST 2010 New Product Showcase in both the freshwater rod category and the overall "Best of Show."

2010 ICAST New Product Showcase Award Winners:
Overall Best of Show - G.Loomis - NRX

Apparel - Frabill, Inc. - FXE Stormsuit

Combo - Ardent/Lamiglas - C400/XC704 Fishouflage Bass

Electronics - Lowrance-Navico - Lowrance Elite-5 DSI

Eyewear - Maui Jim Sunglasses - Guy Harvey Collection

Fishing Accessory - Adventure Products, Inc. - EGO S2 Slider Landing Net

Giftware - Boating Expressions, Inc. - Fishfenders

Kids Tackle - Pure Fishing - Pflueger-Spinning Combo-Apprentice

Line - Rapala - Sufix 832 Advanced Superline

Soft Lure - Koppers Fishing & Tackle Corporation - Live Target Hollow Body Frog

Hard Lure - Shimano American Corporation - Waxwing Sub-Surface Swimming Jig

Marine - Minn Kota-Johnson Outdoors, Inc. - Talon-Shallow Water Anchor

Freshwater Reel - Shimano American Corporation - Stella FE

Saltwater Reel - Shimano American Corporation - Trinidad A

Freshwater Rod - G.Loomis - NRX

Saltwater Rod - Shimano American Corporation - Terez

Tackle Management - HYI, Inc. - Openwater Tackle Backpack

Terminal Tackle - Sebile Innovative Fishing - Soft Weight System


The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry's trade association, committed to looking out for the interests of the entire sportfishing community giving the industry a unified voice speaking out when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself. They invest in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous as well as safeguard and promote the enduring economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America. ASA also represents the interests of America's 60 million anglers who generate over $45 billion in retail sales with a $125 billion impact on the nation's economy creating employment for over one million people

Source: ASAFishing.org

YESTERDAY...LDWF AND LOUISIANA WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES COMMISSION ANNOUNCE LARGE-SCALE OPENING TO RECREATIONAL FISHING

Today Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced significant openings to recreational fishing. With this action, approximately 86 percent of recreational fishing in Louisiana will be open immediately today, July 14.

"The measures taken today by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission will allow recreational anglers, including recreational shrimping, crabbing and fishing, to resume," said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. "While I am pleased and fully support today?s action, I caution all fishermen to exercise caution while fishing in areas closed to commercial fishing."

This opening includes licensed charter boat guides and bait fishermen or dealers who harvest for and sell to recreational fishermen exclusively.

Let's hope they don't turn around and reverse this again.

"One small cap for BP, one enormous plug for the inhabitants and the entire ecosystem of the United States Gulf Coast and beyond." July 13, 2010

We make comparisons...we live a comparative way of life. Consciously or subconsciously we live life selecting between things and events and other encounters. Like good and bad; better and best; the lessor of two evils...I probably need not continue. I take nothing away from the event I mention now. It was July 20, 1969, a great day for mankind...perhaps one of the greatest. As an 18 year old kid hangin' out on a hot summers' night watching the television with my friends as Neil Armstrong embedded mankind's first footprint on the lunar surface and recorded these forever echoing words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Truly a great event on the timeline of earth.

How will July 13, 2010, be remembered? Perhaps you'll join with me in great hope and prayer that it is with these words, "One small cap for BP, one enormous plug for the inhabitants and the entire ecosystem of the United States Gulf Coast and beyond."

Comparisons...Your Choice! I wish or a prayer...again, your choice.

Live streaming video of the open ended pipe free flowing as I write this post:http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html?chanId=2

Could The New Cap Really Provide a "SEAL" Associated Press Update

Quoting our friend Captain Keith Kennedy in the AP update early this morning, "At this point, there have been so many ups and downs, disappointments, that everybody down here is like, 'We'll believe it when we see it,'" said Keith Kennedy, a charter boat captain in Venice, La.

Full Associated Press Story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill

RANT #2...What a Difference One Day Can Make!

I DON"T KNOW HOW THE FOLKS (FISHING GUIDES ESPECIALLY) AROUND THE DELTA ARE MAINTAINING THEIR PATIENCE. THE WATERS HAVE BEEN CLOSED ONCE AGAIN TO CATCH AND RELEASE FOR FINFISH!

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Overturns Decision to Allow Recreational Catch and Release Fishing in Closed Areas.
Release Date: 07/08/2010

Today the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission chose to reinstitute a complete closure to recreational fishing in all Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries closure areas. This action by the commission reverses the Secretary of the Department?s decision earlier this week to allow the recreational catch and release of finfish in closed areas.

To read the entire Press Release visit: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/?id=1903

LDWF UPDATES APPEAR PROMISING

A glimmer of hope on the horizon for our guide friends, service providers and the folks around the Mississippi Delta area? Two recent Press Releases from the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries. NEWS RELEASES: LDWF MODIFIES RECREATIONAL CLOSURES TO ALLOW CATCH AND RELEASE FISHING FOR FINFISH Release Date: 0...7/06/10 (THAT'S BIG) and TODAY LDWF ANNOUNCES FISHING OPENING IN A PORTION OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO FISHING. Visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/ for full details.

IS Outdoors Magazine on Line

Our new column fishing the Americas begins with the July issue available now over at ISOutdoors. Sign up for your FREE monthly edition. It's all about enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with you! A sport fishing journal entry…circa 1958 Twitch, twitch, pause…I saw the boil…the lure just disappeared from the surface…I actually remember it…then the line began to move off laterally very quickly…he’s calmly pointing and saying, “tighten up and set it like I’ve shown you”…then the jerk…followed by the rush up the spine shock from the silver flash in the water magnified by the sunlight …and with that the reel began to screech. “Hold tight…just hold tight…don’t reel just yet…let her run.” “I told you one would be by that stump…now start reeling…keep your rod up and just hold it there…that’s good, she’s turning now…reel a little more. No, it won’t break. Yes, I know its bent “real good” but that’s ok, keep the rod against your belly! And yes, it’s a goodn.” The picture is dated 1958…

El Grande Lures...There Really is a Difference in Soft Plastics!

Several years ago I stumbled across a company in California hand pouring giant worms and lizards primarily for those fishing the Delta and the other giant bass lakes of “The Golden State.” I ordered some for a trip to Mexico. Long story short…we caught several bass on that trip to El Salto but no real giants. The Grande plastics occupied space in my Mexico plastics bag for the next few years and I all but forgot about them.

That is until one late afternoon on Lake Huites when I had scrounged up my very last chewed up lizard from the bottom of the boat. The silly thing wouldn’t even stay on the hook. I was out of lizards and the lizard bite was still going strong.

After digging through the bag for something else I found a dozen of those giant lizards…I’m talking 11” with the ribbon tail fully extended. I won’t even begin to tell you about the fish we finished up with that day on Huites…several toads and a giant or two were in the mix. But the last of the giant lizards were gone. I returned home and quickly attempted to contact the company to order more, but unfortunately, nada…not a one was available…in fact, the company and the moulds were long gone. I kinda’ forgot about the grande lizards.

Then a few years ago I heard about this guy named Jay Schurz over in Indiana hand pouring plastics of giant purportions. He was reported to be a South of the Border fin’atic like myself and had entered the plastics market place with a product called El Grande Lures. Designed originally for the Mexican bass addicts his product line was catching a following all across the US as well.

Well, I’ve now found some giant worms, stick baits and lizards once again. I won’t go into the product line. I’ll leave that up to you. You can follow the link here and visit the El Grande web site and see for yourself what I’m talking about.

I will say this, I’ve now had the opportunity to extensively “field test” the product on Lake Huites, Mexico. The fish love the Pepper Sticks and we have some destination specific colors that they seem to prefer the most. The product line is growing and there are several new releases...one is the Gila Monster, an 8-3/4” lizard that is sure to be just the ticket for the giants of Huites. The El Grande Hatch Match Stick is in a class all of its own. Then there is the El Grande Tube and the Sapo Frog. All available in proven color combinations. You will simply need to get some and experience the difference for yourself. Obviously, Lake Huites would be the best place to conduct your own “field test.”

So check out El Grande Lures for yourself and see why “Size Really Does Matter!” Then check back here at the FTA Blog often as we bring you more "Excellence in Outfitting" products.