Clean Water Act Protections Under Attack

Take Action!

Duck hunters and anglers know the value of wetlands, and streams.  These places provide the opportunity for sportsmen to hunt and fish and enjoy our outdoor sporting heritage and traditions.
Immediate action is needed to stop an amendment to the federal Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill (HR 2354) that bars the Corps of Engineers from restoring longstanding Clean Water Act protections to isolated water bodies and wetlands that are critically important to fish and wildlife resources.  This disabling amendment also erodes the Corps’ ability to clarify the Clean Water Act’s jurisdiction to include these valuable isolated water bodies and wetlands under protections of the Act.
Isolated water bodies and associated wetlands provide habitat for waterfowl, woodcock, fish, and furbearers and enable sportsmen and women to enjoy the outdoor traditions of fishing, hunting, canoeing and wildlife watching.  North Carolina is blessed with an abundance of riverine and estuarine waters and wetlands.  The Clean Water Act protects them.  We need to continue this strong stewardship of protecting our natural resources for now and into the future.
From the Smokies to the Outer Banks, streams, wetlands and the wildlife that call them home contribute to the state’s treasured landscape.  They also contribute to our outdoor recreation economy.  In 2006, residents and non-residents spent $2.7 billion on hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation in North Carolina.
Please TAKE ACTION NOW and urge Senators Burr and Hagan to protect hunting and fishing by voting NO on crippling amendments to HR 2354.
The House passed HR 2354 on July 15, 2011 with a similar provision prohibiting funds to be used by the Corps to restore Clean Water Act protections.  So, if the Senate adopts this harmful amendment too, the provision has a good chance of becoming law, to the detriment of our streams, wetlands, and fish and wildlife.
Now, more than ever, North Carolina needs Clean Water Act protections clarified and applied to ensure the health and prosperity of our people, our economy and our natural resources.

NC Camo Coalition is a project of the NC Wildlife Federation.

From near and far, they came for their championship

By Deb Johnson (Bassmaster.com)

Nov 1, 2011

Craig Denham builds cabinets. Carlo Alberto-Tenchini is a marketing director. Jamie Hartman drives a truck. Jeff Jones is a plumbing contractor. Takuya Wakebe works in an office. Darren Thornton is an importer.

All told, they number 54. They’ve come from 47 U.S. states and six other countries: Italy (Alberto-Tenchini); Japan (Wakebe); Canada (Denham); and Mexico, South Africa, and Zimbabwe (Thornton). Some have money enough, some do not, some are highly skilled craftsmen, some just hold down jobs that allow them the time to fish often. Some are graying; some are students, still learning.

As different from each other as any 54 people randomly tapped from the general population, they have at least this in common: They love to chase bass, and they’re in Monroe, La., this week representing their state, their B.A.S.S. club and the buddies they beat at home to get to the world championship of amateur bass anglers.

This is the 2011 B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Championship. Some of the anglers here have worked for more than a year, tournament after tournament, to get a shot at the champ’s trophy.

Competition on the Ouachita River — tough, tough and tougher fishing, say those who scouted — will bond these strangers. Some perhaps met for the first time at the launch ramps Tuesday as they put their boats into the water for the first day of official practice. A few might have met in town weeks ago before the official off-limits period began. By the Nov. 5 finale, several will be fast friends.

In the end, six will stand out. Only the winners in each of six regional divisions will advance to the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

The public is invited to watch the unique event, called the BFNC for short, Thursday-Saturday on site in Monroe or at Bassmaster.com beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Free streaming video and real-time leaderboards will be online each day. A free, downloadable scorecard is also available.

Representing the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation – Steve Dyer

How four anglers juggle careers and their pursuit of the Classic trophy

It takes a lot of planning ahead to climb the Classic ladder

By John Neporadny Jr., B.A.S.S. Times

Oct 13, 2011

If there was a ladder that could lead you directly to the Bassmaster Classic stage in contention for the trophy, would you climb it? Of course you would!

For many bass anglers, the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation is that ladder.

Although some Federation Nation anglers strive to turn pro someday, others such as Tom Jessop, Brian Maloney, Joe Matt and Chuck Murray have succeeded at keeping a full-time job and qualifying multiple times for the Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter. These four amateur anglers offer the following tips on how to keep your day job and consistently go deep into the Federation Nation postseason.

Chuck Murray emphasizes that having your family support your fishing habit is essential to moving up in B.A.S.S. Federation Nation competition

#1

Juggle your schedule.

Jessop, a member of the Texas B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, is a self-employed cattle buyer and runner who does some of his work on the evenings of the tournaments. “I do a lot of my business over the phone on-site,” said Jessop. “When I get done with a tournament, though, I am completely exhausted because I am trying to keep up with what is going on at work.”

Jessop will get to experience that exhaustion again next month during the 2011 Bassmaster Federation Nation Championship presented by Yamaha and Skeeter. There, he’ll compete against eight other anglers in his division for a spot in the 2012 Bassmaster Classic on the Red River.

Like Jessop, New York B.A.S.S. Federation Nation member Joe Matt also has to plan ahead to allow for his part-time fishing career. As a funeral director, Matt can build up some comp time that he saves for Federation Nation postseason events. “I do have a little bit of a flexible schedule, but it is not as easy as it looks,” he said. “I put in tons and tons of hours when I am not fishing, especially in the wintertime when I cover the business pretty much 24/7.”

#2

Gain family support.

“Having your wife’s support is the No. 1 thing,” said Matt. “I try to incorporate some of the tournaments such as the championship as a vacation for my family. It’s a nice reward for them. I will also go up ahead of time at the divisional and take one of my sons with me to practice.”

Serving as finance director for Franklin County, N.C., has allowed North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation member Chuck Murray to build up five weeks of vacation. “Four of those are spent fishing, and my wife is very supportive of this,” said Murray, who does work out a compromise with his vacation time. “One week I definitely have to spend at the beach.”

Murray won the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Eastern Regional/State Championship in spring 2011, qualifying him for the 2012 Bassmaster Federation Nation Southern Divisional presented by Yamaha and Skeeter. That means at least one week of next year’s vacation will go toward competitive fishing, and if he does well there, he’ll need another week for the Federation Nation Championship. His wife may need to consider booking the family’s time at the beach now to block out that time on Murray’s calendar!

#3

Do your homework.

After working as an AT&T design engineer by day, Brian Maloney spends his free time in the evenings searching the Internet, reading maps and consulting his diary to gather as much information as he can about his next tournament destination. “You can eliminate so much more by the time you get there,” said the Missouri B.A.S.S. Federation Nation member.

Maloney said he also avoids listening to dock talk and advice from local experts on what they would do. “That is what they would do,” he said. “My success in divisionals has been fishing my strengths and not getting wrapped up in having to throw this type of bait or work that type of area.”

Researching fisheries also gives Jessop a head start for his postseason practices. “I read a lot on anything that I can find out about a lake, its past history and tournaments and what part of the lake is usually best,” said Jessop.

Chuck Murray and Randy Groves are still the Team Trail Points and Pounds Champs. Chuck and Randy had finishes of13th on Kerr Lake in May, 1st at Roanoke River in June, 1st at Gaston Lake in July, 1st at Gaston October 7, and a 2nd place finish in the two day CLASSIC on Gaston Lake to take the Championship by 37 points over Cory Leonard and Scott Smith. Chuck and Randy took home $1,000 for the points championship and Cory Leonard and Scott Smith took home $500 for their second place finish. Chuck and Randy were also crowned Pounds Champion with a total weight of 111.68 lbs caught over the 5 events taking home another $250.

Scott and Neil took home the two day CLASSIC Championship on Gaston Lake October 8th and 9th. The duo came from fifth place after day one to take the Championship by catching a MONSTER bag of Bass weighing 25.75 pounds. Chuck Murray and Randy groves took second place with consistent catches of 16+ pound limits both days to capture second place. Flash Butts and Wesley Cashwell took 3rd place just 2 hunderds of a pound shy of Murray and Groves.

On Day 1, leaders Jeff Narron and Danny Hayes busted a 20+ lb limit of bass and also had the big fish of the tournament, a whopping 5.88 pounder.

The day before the Team Trail CLASSIC began, the NCBFN had a make up tourney on Gaston Lake as well. Chuck and Randy busted a big bag weighing 24.74 pounds. Allen Haigh and Doug Washburn finished 2nd place with a 20+ pound bag and Cory Leonard and Cory Bynum took third place with a 17 lb bag. Chuck and Randy also had the big fish, a 5.98 pounder.

Yearly Event Has Multiple Benefits

The annual Take A Kid Fishin’ Day event recently took place on October 1st near Louisburg, NC. Intended as a fund raising event for the Franklin County (NC) Community Foundation, this event serves as more than just a platform for generating grant money for area non-profits, it is also an opportunity for our future outdoor enthusiast to enjoy a day of great fishing and family fun.

Located on Mort Harris road, the property is covered with multiple ponds that allow the individuals to spread out and enjoy their own personal time of fishing enjoyment. The private location is only open to the public once per year for this event and usually draws a good crown of anxious locals dreaming of an opportunity at a “Mort Harris Monster”. Many anglers look forward to the chance at hooking one of the “Big Ones”, but most are just as happy to enjoy the offerings of many species of fish from these beautiful ponds.

As an incentive to introduce a child to the sport of fishing, each team competing in the event was required to consist of one adult and at least one child. Two children per team were allowed. Prizes for the largest Bass, Sunfish, Crappie, Catfish, and most fish total were awarded. All fish were weighed using equipment from local North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation (NCBFN) clubs. The NCBFN set up multiple weigh stations around the ponds for easy access for the participants. Each team was provided with a weigh bag so that all fish could be brought to the weigh stations alive, weighed, and then released back into the water.