News

XFish Micro Skiff fishing and touring
(Click Image To Enlarge) XFish is a motororized sup great for shallow water exploring and fishing.

A Great Fishing Idea

Thanks to Art Link owner of Rigid Boats, XFish and Frigid Rigid Coolers, we are able to offer a remarkable sweepstakes giveaway prize to members and donors this year.  Or if you can't wait to buy an XFish of your own, Art will offer a special discount to SGF members.

The XFish micro skiff is twelve long feet, double hulled for stability, yet still easy to paddle, pole or power.It comes with a 2.5 hp gas motor and an inset removable Frigid Rigid 54 Qt marine cooler. 

Amenities include a padded swivel seat, Tackle tray, 2 rod holders, non-skid deck, stainless hand rail.  It weighs 100 lbs dry and comes with a trailer donated by Tropic Trailers of Ft. Myers.  Check out how easily the boat handles in the video below.

Get tickets for the drawing when you begin or renew your membership or simply donate to Snook & Gamefish Foundation. One ticket is issued for every $15 donated, and 4 tickets for every $50,  unless deferred.  Drawing will take place in March, 2014, and the winner need not be present.  Winner must be at least 18 years of age. 

See Video

Rick Roberts - teaching iAngler to Jack H
All sizes of many species can be logged in Angler Action.org. Data is stored and available to individual anglers and qualified science partners.

The Door Has Opened

Snook and Game Fish Foundation Executive Director Rick Roberts was one of a few recreational anglers selected nationwide to be invited to attend the “Managing our Nations Fisheries 2013 Conference,” held last week in Washington DC. 

 Because SGF is recognized as being on the front-lines of cooperative research, the organization was chosen to participate in discussions of ways to improve management of marine fisheries, including more and better data.

Rick provided the following update: 

Last week’s conference was marked by an historic acknowledgment by leaders including NOAA Assistant Administrator, Eric Schwaab, that recreational angler data is needed. The door has opened.  Now it's up to anglers to go fishing and log their catch!

More about "Managing Our Nations Fisheries Conference"

More Angler Action info:

Our Work Cut out for Us - User Survey Results

Angler Action featured in FWC Saltwater Fishing Regs  article

Getting Started  http://angleraction.org/angleraction/static/gettingstarted.gsp

FAQ and Resources http://angleraction.org/angleraction/resource/list

http://www.snookfoundation.org/data.html

 

 

CFOA Annual Fishing Tournament
(Click Image To Enlarge) Coming May 18, 2013 sponsored by Blue Points Marina
May 18th, 2013  Bluepoints Marina

$2,500 Biggest Fish

Grouper-Dolphin-Wahoo-Kingfish-Cobia

Captains Party May 17th @ Fishlips 6-9pm
Guaranteed Payouts No Minimum # of Boats
Must Register at Captains Party

Please check out the tournament at http://www.cfoatournament.com/

 

 

always log your whole catch at AnglerAction.org

Recreational Anglers Deliver

study by Southwick and Associates
Recreational Fishing has a small impact on fish harvest and a relatively large affect on local economies, according to ASA's recent release.

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fishing on 'This River'
Limited Edition Print - Click on image to place your order.

JJ Grey's newest release. click to listen while you get your print.       

This River, new release by JJ Grey, (SGF Board member)


Thanks for supporting the Snook & Gamefish Foundation!

More JJ Music and Reviews - click here

JJ Grey, who has been a SGF board member since 2011, recently released This River, another brilliant collection ofThis River delivers a solid punch of Florida Soul. Order the CD here. stories through song that continues the evolution of his brand of Florida soul.

 

Well known to a global pack of rabid and loyal fans, JJ has been considered an old soul kind of writer who generates music that settles somewhere between joyous passion and reckless abandon.

When compared to his earlier works, This River manages to come off as more refined in the sense that there is a more cohesive feel throughout the album and as always the band is so incredibly tight. At the same time, you feel the energy that threatens to bust each song out at the seams – all of which leads to live shows that are unparalleled in the industry.

See video, reviews, get a personal copy of This River limited edition SGF print, read on

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angler action loggers making an impact
In increasing numbers, anglers are giving back to the resource by capturing needed fish info. photo credit: Evan Jones.
Fisheries Innovation Fund will further Angler Action's technical and communications advances.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced that is awarding funds to the Snook and Gamefish Foundation for the purpose of enhancing the Angler Action Program (AAP), including it's mobile iAngler apps.

Over the last year Angler Action participants recorded catch facts from 3,244 anglers who logged 13,919 fish in Florida alone.     Their trips records are available for their personal use in an electronic log,  while critical data regarding fish length and numbers are shared with fishery scientists.  Recreational Anglers and science partners alike give continuing feedback for needed improvements.  Based on their combined input the program is evolving to better meet the needs of both user groups.

The NFWF grant will make it possible to add programing that will speed the process of  recording data, thus limiting the time fish stay out of the water while capturing more important information.  The grant also provides for innovations to broaden the user base and outreach.  Program adaptations to accommodate more states and types of fishing and more user devices are planned. The Fisheries Innovation Fund Award from NFWF will provide $80,000. SGF will secure matching funds from other sources to complete this project.

According to studies by the American Sportfishing Associatoin, recreational anglers only take 2% of the marine fish harvest but contribute 50% of the marine fishing economy. Recreational Anglers also create beneficial environmental impacts by giving back to the resource, through programs like Angler Action.  Anglers who log their catch with iAngler/Angler Action are increasing the effective collection of useful data for stock assessment:  www.angleraction.org

Additcitve Fishing producer Kevin McCabe shares insights about Addictive Fishing.Addictive Fishing producer Kevin McCabe shares his view from behind the camera.

Editor’s note: This interview is part of a series with Outdoor Hub’s featured video partners, and was originally run in the Outdoor Hub on April 5.

This week we are joined by Addictive Fishing producer Kevin McCabe in an interview about filming, fishing, and the industry in general. Kevin has been with Addictive Fishing since its inception and is the driving force behind the scenes to produce one of the longest-running and most successful shows in the business. Maintaining both a presence in online platforms like YouTube as well as television, Addictive Fishing aims to both exhilarate and educate.

Kevin or “Mr. Producerman,” as the crew calls him, continues to be a ceaseless innovator and strives to produce top-notch entertainment for anglers. We are pleased he was able to sit down with us for an interview.

Outdoor Hub: So, tell me about the Addictive Fishing story and how you got here today.

Kevin McCabe: Well, we’re in our fourteenth year. We are a saltwater fishing show based here in Florida and we’ve been streaming on the internet since before YouTube was a thing.

The show is what we’d like to call “rod bending drag screaming” television.” It’s of course hosted by Captain Blair Wiggins. He has been a fishing guide for most of his life until we started doing this TV show. What’s interesting about our partnership is that we’ve known each other since the second grade. We grew up back in the day, elementary school through high school. There is nobody better suited to host this show than Blair. We spent our early years fishing and then graduated high school. I went to Tampa for the University of South Florida. He went off to the Air Force. We came back to our home town for our ten-year high school reunion and shortly thereafter we started the show.

 

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Once again, River Palm Cottages (Jensen Beach) was ground zero for a flurry of SGF activity that was highlighted by 49 Capt. Danny  Barrow took time to discuss the importance of collecting recreational fishing data through the Angler Action Program.anglers competing in a one-of-a-kind fishing tournament.

The event supported the Angler Action Program, SGF’s recreational angler data collection system that is already giving anglers a measure of clout in the fishery science world.

TCSC anglers fished throughout the night, trying to tease snook all along the Treasure Coast using artificial lures only. Lots of good data was collected, some new faces were introduced to the program, and over 100 guests soaked in some good times, great food, and a large variety of raffle prizes.

RJ Ferraro (left) is recognized by TCSC Chairman Tom Lewis for catching the longest snook of the night, a 40-incher.Tom Lewis of First Light tackle was the tournament Chairman and the primary tackle sponsor. “I was snook fishing with Drew (Wickstrom, Tournament Director) one night and we started talking about throwing a tournament to introduce more anglers to First Light Tackle,” Tom said. That very first conversation was during this past December – not a lot of time to conceptualize and organize a fishing tournament!

Tom, Drew and a handful of very dedicated volunteer committee members got right to work, meeting weekly to discuss sponsors, rules, ideas, and how to best highlight the AAP. “All along I knew I wanted to benefit the Snook & Gamefish Foundation, so calling Rick Roberts (Executive Director, SGF) was one of our first moves.”

The entire process ended up as a model example of how different organizations can work together very effectively. Committee members worked with SGF staff and volunteers to map out the data collection process. FWC/FWRI were brought into the mix to help tag a few fish for the purpose of offering a “bounty” of $500 for 3 snook as well as educating the public on the latest snook research and ongoing programs.

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A young man who practices what he preaches: Habitat protection, best practices fish handling, and AAP logging.‘Be Smart. Be Clean. Enjoy.”

You don’t have to be a Boy Scout to come up with a sensible
motto like that, but for 17 year-old Kenny DiBiase of Sanibal Island it fit his Eagle Scout project like a glove.

 Kenny’s project was built around educating the local public on water quality issues, and ways us every day folk can be sure to do our part in protecting and improving the quality of our waters.

Over a span of several months, Kenny gave many live talks to community groups, and created road signs (which had to be approved and installed by the city). He spoke to the City of Sanibel Council and many other clubs as part of his plan to educate as many people as possible about his very important project.

 Kenny’s project culminated with a flurry of activity that included organizing educational booths at 5 different locations. This required training and preparing 30 volunteers, who manned sites at bait and tackle stores, grocery stores, and other high traffic areas.

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SGF Partner Boat Outfitters wins NMMA Innovation Award

Boat Outfitters, the retail division of Teak Isle Manufacturing received the NMMA The NMMA Innovation Award was well deserved for our partners at Boat Outfitters. Great job!Innovation Award for their new Pickup Truck Fishing Rod Rack.

Every year the NMMA Innovation Awards are presented to manufacturers and suppliers who bring to market new and innovative products for the boating industry. These awards are presented at the International Boat Builders' Exposition and Conference (IBEX) and at the Miami International Boat Show.

The lockable Pick-Up Truck Fishing Rod Rack is currently designed for Ford F150 pickup trucks, with additional pick-up truck models in development.

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 Treasure Coast Snook Challenge April 6-7 poster
(Click Image To Enlarge)  Join us for a tournament Meet-N-Greet on Saturday, March 23, 6-8PM at the Stuart Flanigan's. Talk to other snook anglers, learn more about snook data, and have a little fun!

You are invited to join in First Light Tackle's Treasure Coast SnookChallenge, to benefit the Snook & Gamefish Foundation/Angler Action Program.  The captain's meeting will be held on site - at the River Palm Cottages in Jensen Beach, FL - April 6 at 3pm, and fishing begins at the close of the meeting. Tournament fishing ends at noon on April 7, and the awards party kicks off at 3pm at River Palm Cottages.

Registration and payment can be dropped off at Juno Bait & Tackle (12214 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, FL 33408), or delivered to the pre-tournament Meet-N-Greet that will take place Saturday March 23 from 6-8 PM, at our sponsoring Flanigan's in Stuart (950 SE Federal Hwy, Stuart, FL 34994) .      

  Click here for downloadable PDF registration [Adobe Acrobat PDF - 2.08 MB]

Anglers are to use First Light  Tackle snook jigs or FLT scorpion jig heads, which will be provided at the mandatory captain's meeting. Prize categories include largest individual snook, total length of three best snook, and most releases of slot fish. There will also be three "bounty" fish, tagged and released in the vicinity with the assistance of FWC. Finally, everyone who enters their catch data into the Angler Action Program by the dinner party will be eligible to win extra raffle prizes - even if no fish are caught. 

Registration fee of $60/angler will benefit Snook & Gamefish Foundation as well as provide each contestant with First Light lures, T shirt,  1 raffle ticket for onsite prize drawings, and 1 dinner ticket for a delicious meal provided by Flanigans at River Palm on April 7.

Additional Rules/Info:

This is a catch/photo/release event. Tournament fish must be photographed with the official tournament measuring stick, which will be provided at the captain's meeting.

This is a rain or shine event. Minors can participate under the constant and direct supervision of their parent or legal guardian.

Registration can be phoned in to Brett Fitzgerald,  561 707 8923.

The SGF staff and volunteer crew come into contact with a lot of new products throughout the year. Between our booths at Fishing Expos, boat shows, and even club meetings, we get to see a lot of cool new stuff. Here's a couple that caught our eye.

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And the Winner Is...

Congratulations Andy McCurdy! With a single ticket donation at A very happy winner, Andy sits in his new skiff for the very first time.a West Marine grand opening in Ft. Myers, Andy is now the owner of a truly one-of-a-kind David Gause Built 17' skiff. 

On the afternoon of Sunday Feb 17, Andy was in his shop doing 'weekend work' when his phone rang. "I didn't recognize the number, so I let it go to voice mail. Then I saw the text that came right after the call, so I listened to the message." He called back to SGF Managing Director Brett Fitzgerald's cell, who confirmed the amazing news. Indeed, Andy had won the skiff of a lifetime.

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Rob Peterson snook catch
 Winner of the Angler Action User Survey Prize Giveaway, Robby Peterson fishes SW Florida. He won an Orvis Fly Rod and Reel when his name was chosen from survey participants. (see results below)
Anglers Shaping the Future of Fishing

Anglers have something vital to contribute to our sport:  the facts of their fishing trips.  The Angler Action Program (AAP) is starting its fourth year as an evolving tool for capturing recreational catch data.   The trip and catch information entered by anglers becomes a private log, but most importantly is being put to use by fishery scientists.  The AAP's standardized method of data collection, developed through team work between fishers and biologists, makes this possible. 

Each year, the program has improved based on input from both anglers and fishery researchers.  In 2012, with support from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Norcross Foundation, we established angleraction.org (the permanent online portal for entering catch records), and iAngler free phone apps which let you add fish info from your smartphone, ipad, or tablet.   Your feedback, ideas and resources are the driving force for continued improvement.   We welcome your feedback at any time through This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Here is where we are today and what we hope to achieve in the year ahead.

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Fr. Charlie Holt, St. Peters Lake Mary
Fr Charlie Holt, with his first shad.  Charlie keeps  busy pastoring St. Peter's Lake Mary, but encourages taking time to recharge..
story contributed by John Kumiski, Spotted Tail Charters


My fishing reports end with the admonition, “Life is short- go fishing!”

I was talking to an old friend on the telephone this week. When I first moved to Florida this guy took me under his wing and taught me how to fly fish here. He introduced me to several of the old school Florida Keys guides- Tommy Busciglio, Lee Baker, Nat Ragland. We went fishing with Tommy off Duck Key one morning and jumped a couple big tarpon. We fished in the Everglades. We fished in the lagoons. He showed me how to tie flies that would fool redfish and tarpon. He is a friend and a mentor and I owe him a lot.

Now he has neuropathy. His feet are dead and he can’t fish any more.

It’s all too easy to assume your health will last forever. It won’t. Age, disease, or a stupid accident is all it takes for your precious health to be lost forever. It can happen in a blink.

Take the time to do what you enjoy, today. Take some kids outdoors, if not fishing, then hiking, or paddling, or camping. They don’t often get the opportunity. Everyone now is too hooked on their devices.

Be spontaneous! Have fun! Enjoy yourself!

“The future’s uncertain and the end is always near.” -Jim Morrison

Life is short. Go fishing.


FL Saltwater Fishing Regs
Click on image to view Digital Edition Flip Page

The latest (January-June) Florida Saltwater Fishing Regulations, also feature the Angler Action program

- see page 19 of the Digital Edition "Report Your Catch!"  [click here to read pdf]  or click on image at left for digital view of entire publication.

On page, 18,  there's a handy identification chart showing all the species of fish in the jack family commonly caught in Florida waters.

At the center is the list of all saltwater species regulations. As a quick check of slots and bag limits, it is mighty handy.   A  printable view of just these 2 pages can be found at this link.  http://myfwc.com/media/2462342/2013%20Quick%20Chart.pdf

Here are a few other features in this edition:
Page ten gives a run down of the new spotted seatrout rule changes and also shows a very useful color chart of the four regions that the state designates for seatrout anglers.  New regions and rules for redfish (red drum) on the same page.     Pick up a free copy at the Snook & Gamefish Foundation booth at the Ft. Myers Florida Sportsman Show this weekend.

The entire publication can be downloaded as an Acrobat pdf file at this link.
http://www.eregulations.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/13FLSW1_LR.pdf.

Cesar Colla c robalo
 Cesar Colla muestra como retener a los peces grandes
Editors note -  Thanks to SGF member Cesar Colla for translating this article for spanish readers.  For english translation see here

Mantener nuestra robustas pesquerías contando el total de tus capturas y manejando con destreza todos los peces que liberas.

Manejo del pez

- Minimiza el tocar el pez dado que esto puede remover una capa protectora que tienen los peces.

- Si vas a manejar un pez usa tus manos mojadas y limpias.

- Dale soporte al pez por debajo de su cabeza y su vientre.

- Minimiza la exposición al aire un máximo de 15 segundos es recomendado.

- Trata de no utilizar artefactos para agarrar los peces por su mandíbula dado que esto puede causar lesiones a esta.

- Si el peso del pez es deseado favor añadirle un tipo de cuna a la escala para soportar el peso.

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Welcome to the 7th year of Best Shots Photo Contests

SGF Best Shots Photo Contest Angler Action Photo Contest

BEST SHOTS photo contests are a tradition of the Snook & Gamefish Foundation since 2007.  The purpose is to recognize and promote catch and release techniques that increase release survival.  This year you can also enter photos in a second category of Angler Action logged trips.  The goal is to capture recreational angler catch data in a standardized format useful for science.

HOW TO ENTER

Email your photos directly to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or use [this link to upload].  For the AnglerAction category, associate your photo with an  angleraction record that captures your catch data for the day. 

HOW TO WIN

Invite your friends to like your photo on FaceBook,  Angler Action FB       Snook & Gamefish FB

Capture prize winning photos while keeping your trophy fish in condition to catch again!
Photo tips for Gamefish   Best & Quickest Shots

Capture your catch data in ANGLER ACTION, the recreational angler database.
New users  [click to register a user name in angler action}         More about Angler Action data collection

Prizes will be awarded at the end of each month, courtesy of Sting Ray Tackle Outfitters, and others.

SEE PHOTOS

secrets from floridas master anglers
This excerpt is from Capt. Ron Presley's "Secrets from Florida's Master Anglers" click on photo to view this and other books available through Amazon.
.An old man on a cane was strolling along Seventh Avenue in New York City when he came upon a tourist. The old man stopped the tourist and asked, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

The unsuspecting tourist replied, “Sorry, I am new in town and don’t know the way to Carnegie Hall.” The old man smiled and said, “Practice, practice, practice.”

Angler’s can learn from the wise old New Yorker and improve their skills through practice. It is natural to just want to go fishing without much preparation, but if you want to be among the 10 percent of anglers that catch 90 percent of the fish you might want to consider the notion of practice. After all, the old axiom that practice makes perfect is more than just a saying.

If you are willing to practice knots you will get very good at tying them; if you are willing to practice casting you will get very good at casting. Willing may be the operative word.

If you are willing to practice when you are not fishing it’s likely to produce huge dividends when you do fish. Of course there is also plenty of time to practice when you are fishing, if you are willing to do it.

Whether fishing with a buddy, spouse, or tournament partner, anglers are often part of a team and the success of the team depends on the skills of the individuals that make up the team. No specialists here. Captain Bouncer Smith, a well known Miami Captain, says a good team is made up of individuals who can play different positions on the team. Being able to play all the positions well requires practice.

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Alexis Trotter Tarpon Catch
Alexis Trotter with her giant Tampa Bay tarpon.  She hooked, played, landed and released this fish. Photo credit: Ron Taylor

Where Credit is Due:  SGF Recognizes FWRI Biologist Alexis Trotter.

In 2010,  SGF put together Angler Action Program, in order to track the catch and release of post freeze snook by anglers. We worked directly with FWRI Biologist Alexis Trotter and with her able direction designed the questionnaire still in use today for both the iAngler smart phone app and  the Angler Action trip record.  Angler Action has become the most active self-reporting record of gamefish catch, harvest and release data on the Web.

Based on Trotter's many hours of work at that time and her subsequent assistance in continuing to refine the program, anglers have been able to successfully amass needed data using the AAP.  That data was put to use by Dr. Bob Muller in his recent stock assessment of snook.

When SGF asked Dr. Muller   "What would you like to receive from anglers to make stock assessments even better in the future? "  his reply was simple:
"Your Angler Action site currently is collecting the type of information we need, i.e. date, time, location, number of anglers...and the sizes of all fish caught, not just the harvested fish."

SGF  would like to point out  the assistance of FWRI's  Alexis Trotter to all and to recognize her contribution to the success of the  Angler Action Program. With her help we were able to actualize this pioneering effort. To her credit and with her early assistance AAP has grown and is now on the threshold of becoming a prototype for recreational angler data gathering  nationally .  
Respectfully,  Rick Roberts and the SGF Team      [log trip here]  [learn more about]

Old salts are learning new tricks. Rick Roberts' logged this spotted sea trout.  Photo credit: Ron Presley

Historically, recreational anglers have not considered themselves data collectors unless it was for their personal use. Data collection consisted mainly of a fishing log that kept track of what, when, where, why, and how. Information like date, location, weather conditions, fish caught, and baits used were all recorded. The data could be retrieved later to help them in their quest to catch that trophy fish.  

That stereotype is changing with the recognized need for new and improved data to be used in the science of fishery management. Recreational anglers are beginning to realize that they can make a significant contribution to science through personal data collection and submission.

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Trolling Motor Gear Holder

Boat Outfitters Trolling Motor Gear Holder
Keep all the essentials close at hand with a trolling motor gear holder by Boat Outfitters (click photo to view more)

Introducing the trolling motor gear holder, a brand new product from that dramatically increases the functionality of your tolling motor. Composed of ¾” thick King Starboard (white & black available) this unit includes a drink holder, pliers slot, a stud for leader material & a rod holder. Now you don’t even have to leave the bow to rig back up and get a line back in the water.

The unit clamps onto the shaft just below the head of the trolling motor and remains securely clamped to the trolling motor shaft even when retracted and stored. Size options are available to fit all standard shaft diameters. Not sure what size you need? Boat Outfitters has a handy measuring tool as well as a reference list of common trolling motor shaft sizes.

You can also upgrade the unit to add a hanging bag great for soft plastics. Keep your line in the water and your drinks from being kicked over. Have a convenient place to set your rod while your rig up or remove your catch. After using it for a couple of trips you’ll wonder what you did without it.
             The trolling motor gear holder is available at www.boatoutfitters.com and is currently on sale for only $34.99!

BoatOutfitters.com
cap
Gear Holder stores on trolling motor.
cap

Thanks for taking a minute - your feedback will help shape usability of the Angler Action program.

 

Take Survey

dark stormwater discharge marches down the coast from st lucie river
Stormwater discharge from Lake Okeechobee darkens the water off St. Lucie beaches.
This past year, heavy rain events once again triggered stormwater discharges that impacted anglers all around South Florida. Many of our members have expressed concern, fear or anger regarding water quality issues related to these discharges.
 
We at the SGF feel anglers should be involved in the process of helping to correct the current system of water management. We also feel the first step towards that end is making sure we all have a solid understanding of how the process works, from raindrop to spillway.
 
Please take our very brief survey, and get a chance to win a kayak fishing trip.. It will help us understand what aspects of this very complicated issue we should focus on as we continue to bridge the gap between angler and managers of our waters and fisheries.

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