Fishing for change: Local management of Amazon's largest fish also empowers women - Mongabay.com

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• High market demand led to declining numbers and a ban on arapaima fishing in the late 1990s, though illegal poaching for the black market continued.
• According to a recent paper, the co-management system that has helped these fish recover also provides new opportunities for women in fishing communities.
• Women working in co-management have newly independent incomes and receive previously unknown respect for their roles, though further work is needed to cement these gains.

When harvest season comes to the Amazon, Irlene das Graças da Cunha de Figueiredo’s day revolves around fish. During a handful of days every year, when the floodwaters of the river are high, she and her community of São Raimundo share a singular purpose: harvesting a massive fish they call pirarucu. Irlene is in charge of a group of women who process these fish.

From dawn to dusk, they work quickly to eviscerate thousands of pounds of pirarucu before immersing them in ice to be shipped to market.

It’s hard work, but it’s a dramatic change compared to just a few years ago, when Irlene worked in agriculture for subsistence — but received no income. Thanks to a co-management system that engages Amazonian communities in the management of pirarucu, also known as arapaima, women like Irlene can now earn their own income independent of their husbands or fathers.

In many communities, women have also gained a level of respect within the fishing industry that previously did not exist.

“The biggest change was learning, with the exchange of knowledge of women working together, to see the strength of women, their enthusiasm to get an income that they can say that is only theirs,” Irlene wrote in a WhatsApp message about her experience in the fishery. “This joy of having their own money and deciding alone how you will use it is very rewarding, and increases women’s freedom.”

A new study led by Carolina Freitas, a recent Ph.D. graduate of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, quantifies how co-management has begun a process of “un-invisibilization” for women in these communities. Through interviews with 143 women living in 54 fishing communities along the Juruá River, Freitas’s team found that women working in arapaima co-management communities earned a median annual income of $215. In communities without this system, the median annual income for women was zero.

“We say that the arapaima is like the fish of change,” co-author João Campos-Silva, an ecologist at Universidade Federal de Alagoas and postdoctoral researcher with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, said in a video interview. “The arapaima can show how we can build a development pathway for Amazonia.”

New system, new opportunities

Arapaima (Arapaima gigas), a large Amazon freshwater fish. Photo by Jeff Kubina on Flickr.

Stretching more than 3 meters (10 feet) long and tipping the scales at 180 kilograms (400 pounds) or more, arapaima are the planet’s largest scaled fish. In the 1990s, they were also one of its most endangered, thanks to overfishing and a furious black market. Their numbers dropped so low that arapaima fishing was banned, though the ban did little to stop illegal poaching.

That began to change in the early 2000s, when IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental agency, introduced co-management. Under this system, fishing communities themselves estimate the annual abundance of arapaima in their region. During the August-to-November dry season, when the arapaima are confined to small ponds, the villagers count them directly. This is made possible by the fact that these unusual fish must surface roughly every 15 minutes to breathe air.

The system also reduces poaching by requiring communities to protect the ponds where these fish shelter when river levels are low, and paying them to monitor for offenders. Fishing for arapaima is still banned outside co-management areas, and within them, villages that receive a quota have a season of only two to five days to harvest it.

Though women had always participated in this fishery in some way, they historically weren’t recognized or compensated for their work. Hauling in the enormous catch was limited to men, a skill passed down from father to son. According to the study authors, duties like cooking at fishing camps or cleaning the catch were seen as an extension of women’s household duties, and therefore went unpaid.

With the new system came such an abundance of work that, in many communities, it simply couldn’t be done by men alone. Women began filling many different roles, from counting the arapaima, to measuring them for IBAMA reporting, to preparing them for delivery to market, and even to harvesting them during the brief, intense open season.

Freitas first saw this while doing her Ph.D. research on arapaima co-management, when she followed along during the harvest.

“Talking with them, I started to notice how significant their participation was, how it embedded so many implications,” Freitas wrote in an email to Mongabay. Her team found that as women moved into these new roles, some of their neighbors began to endorse them as important members of the fishery. “Once this empowerment starts to happen in any activity, it will naturally affect women empowerment as a whole — in their daily lives, in their household, in their community.”

The financial benefits of this participation are also notable, as the $215 in median annual income that the researchers found is a considerable sum locally.

This money likely has an effect that extends well beyond the individual, said Sarah Harper, a postdoctoral researcher studying women in global fisheries at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, who was not involved in the arapaima study. According to Harper, when women earn an independent income, that money often disproportionately goes toward family-focused resources like children’s education and more nutritious food.

“It helps shift the dynamic within the household, and can create a condition for women to be more self-sufficient,” Harper said. “Women’s ability to make strategic life decisions is bolstered by needing to make an income. And often that’s to the benefit of their families and children.”

The Juruá community as a whole also benefited from this influx of capital, which allowed for the purchase of new boats and funded health care that was previously out of reach.

And all the while, the fish central to these changes have been finning toward recovery. In a 2019 paper, Campos-Silva and his co-authors found that arapaima populations had increased in all but one protected lake between 2005 and 2016, with an average growth rate of 76%. In one lake, the population saw a veritable boom, increasing by 1,129.9%.

Securing women’s roles into the future

A community in Brazil harvests arapaima, the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world. Photo courtesy of Carlos Peres.

However, there’s still work to do to continue the social progress beginning to flow through the Amazon. Co-author Priscila Lopes, a professor of ecology at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte who studies women in fisheries throughout Brazil, noted that empowerment helps fisherwomen realize the inequality that pervades the systems around them. For example, Lopes said that when women went to small local hospitals for health problems caused by fishing, they found doctors and nurses didn’t believe their stories, particularly if they came in with painted nails or with their hair done.

And in many communities that Freitas’s team studied, both within and outside co-management areas, decision-making in fisheries still remains stubbornly male-dominated.

Harper said that, because female empowerment was a secondary effect of the management system, this piece of the system may naturally be resistant to change. She also noted that there was no guarantee that women’s roles in these communities would remain if the fishery changed.

In other fisheries, NGOs have seen success from offering workshops focused specifically on breaking down gender norms. These targeted discussions, alongside structural changes — such as providing childcare during fishery meetings — could bring women into the decision-making process and make these gains more robust.

Freitas and Campos-Silva expressed hope that these sorts of changes are on the horizon. Their experiences in the Amazon inspired the two researchers to found Instituto Juruá, a nonprofit focused on bringing sustainable management, grounded in local knowledge and equality, to more Amazonian communities.

“To me, sometimes when we talk about conservation with conservationists, it seems to be something that is at the end of the pathway — something you need to achieve,” Campos-Silva said. “But for us conservation should be a way of life. Should mean a better life. And I think that we can really develop another paradigm of local development and conservation in Amazonia, and I hope we can see it on a large scale in the near future.”

Banner image: Arapaima can grow to 200 kilograms (440 pounds), and it is an important source of protein and income in the Amazon. Photo courtesy of Carlos Peres.

Citations:

Freitas, C. T., Espírito-Santo, H. M. V., Campos-Silva, J. V., Peres, C. A., & Lopes, P. F. M. (2020). Resource co-management as a step towards gender equity in fisheries. Ecological Economies, 176. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106709

Campos‐Silva, J. V., Hawes, J. E., & Peres, C. A. (2019). Population recovery, seasonal site fidelity, and daily activity of pirarucu (Arapaima spp.) in an Amazonian floodplain mosaic. Freshwater Biology, 64(7), 1255-1264. doi:10.1111/fwb.13301

Article published by Genevieve Belmaker

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Deep-water fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico: Who benefits? - Christian Science Monitor

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A proposed deep-water fish farm about 40 miles off Florida’s coast could reshape the world’s seafood industry and upend the lives of the region’s fishermen. 

If approved, Velella Epsilon would be the first aquaculture project in federal waters off the contiguous United States. There, globe-shaped pens would cultivate up to 64 million pounds of sushi-quality almaco jack fish meat each year, creating stiff competition for those who ply the Gulf’s wild-catch fisheries, as well as opportunities for fishermen hoping to supply bait for the project.

At stake is whether markets and permits are enough to tackle the larger ethical questions about how to integrate fish farming into the complexities of a system that includes not just the Gulf of Mexico, but Americans who make a living off it.

“How much of the landscape and the seascape should human beings be using?” asks Philip Cafaro, a philosophy professor at Colorado State University. “You have to be explicit about what your goals are. If it’s to maximize profits in the fishing industry, that’s one thing. If your goal is to maximize output to the fishing industry in order to protect communities, that’s a very different one.”

CORTEZ, Florida

The long, choppy quest to open up the Gulf of Mexico to large-scale fish farming began, in a way, some 30 years ago on the black pearl diving docks of Micronesia. That’s where the Australian businessman Neil Anthony Sims first met the American marine biologist Kevan Main. 

Their paths diverged – his to Hawaii to develop deep-water fish farming, hers to Florida to head the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarasota – but the two remain key figures for a project that could transform not just the American dinner table, but also the economies of fishing ports from Alaska to Florida.

Velella Epsilon – the first fish farm in federal waters off the contiguous United States – would operate in the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles from Florida’s coast. Globe-shaped pens would hold fingerling almaco jack, a member of the amberjack genus, that would grow into 4-pound market fish within a year. If scaled with corporate investment, the project could eventually yield 64 million pounds of sushi-quality meat a year, enough to dramatically reshape the world’s seafood trade.

“People paying attention to the global impacts of humankind on the planet are saying we need more aquaculture, and offshore fish farms are a really scaleable, sustainable, low-impact form of aquaculture,” says Mr. Sims, the co-founder and CEO of Ocean Era, the company behind the Velella Epsilon project, in a phone call from Hawaii. “There’s deep water. You are further from shore. The currents are better. You work within the assimilative capacities of the system.” 

Patrik Jonsson/The Christian Science Monitor

Cortez, Florida, is one of dozens of fishing communities across the US that could either benefit from or be hurt by the prospect of large-scale, corporate fish farming in US offshore waters. Like many such communities, it is filled with colorful characters and funky displays of individualism.

As Velella Epsilon gains steam even under heavy regulatory headwinds, that phrase – “assimilative capacities,” the ability for the natural environment to safely absorb pollutants – will be key in a broader gambit for U.S. protein independence. At stake is whether markets and permits are enough to tackle the larger ethical questions about how to integrate fish farming into the complexities of a system that includes not just the Gulf of Mexico, but Americans who make a living off it.

“How much of the landscape and the seascape should human beings be using?” asks Philip Cafaro, a philosophy professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. “You have to be explicit about what your goals are. If it’s to maximize profits in the fishing industry, that’s one thing. If your goal is to maximize output to the fishing industry in order to protect communities, that’s a very different one.”

In a big pond

In 1986, the newly independent Federated States of Micronesia imported nearly 20,000 pounds of black-lipped pearl oysters, a species known for its high quality black pearls, and raised them in Chuuk Lagoon. At first, little was done to develop the fledgling republic’s nascent aquaculture.

But as Micronesia’s black pearl industry began to shift to a more managed model in the 1990s, “we saw a transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer,” says Mr. Sims. “And it took years of bitter fighting. But now those communities have reversed a brain drain because there are now millionaires in those communities.” 

Mr. Sims’ goal off the coast of Florida is much the same, he says. “The primary driver behind Velella Epsilon is to showcase it to the fishing community as a great asset.”

Patrik Jonsson/The Christian Science Monitor

A 28-day-old almaco jack hunts for live brine shrimp in a beaker at the Mote Marine Laboratory on the outskirts of Sarasota, Florida, on Aug. 20, 2020. Spawned from a wild broodstock caught from local waters, the fish can grow to near-market size within a year. It is part of an offshore farming demonstration project planned some 40 miles off the coast of Florida.

It's now unclear which government agency has authority to approve the Velella Epsilon project, but which would test the feasibility of fish farming in a high-risk environment. It also represents the latest effort to push aquaculture through the regulatory maze that binds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to eight regional fishery councils, which in turn set the rules for managing the wild stock. 

The White House appears eager to open federal waters to aquaculture. With Executive Order 13921, President Donald Trump on May 7 ordered NOAA to winnow down regulations for both aquaculture and wild-caught fish. Last week NOAA announced that it would be creating 10 Aquaculture Opportunity Areas, including one in the Gulf. 

But this push for open-ocean fish farming has faced legal hurdles. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court ruled that NOAA lacked the authority to take the lead in regulating aquaculture in federal waters, a victory for the environmental groups and fishing associations who brought the suit. Those groups have argued that open-sea aquaculture is too risky and too dependent on the market’s whims. 

“A slice of the population looks at the oceans and thinks of them as a last, wild frontier, and to have farming in that last wild frontier is anathema to them,” says Paul Zajicek, executive director of the National Aquaculture Association in Tallahassee, Florida.

Ocean aquaculture is not without its environmental costs, such as escaped fish, parasites, and “fish sewage.” Though some of those problems are more endemic to near-shore fish farms, concerns remain among environmentalists and many Florida residents that deep-sea cultivation would prove even more complex, but with less oversight.

“It’s an ethical issue akin to raising tigers for consumption: You’re fishing up the food chain,” says Zach Corrigan, a senior attorney at the Washington-based nonprofit Food & Water Watch, which opposes the project. “I don’t think [Mr. Sims] represents what is really the best economic model for these fish farms, which is going to be cheaply produced fish out there on the fly. At that point you’re not competing against the imports, you’re producing expensive, high-grade product for your own dollars.” 

Patrik Jonsson/The Christian Science Monitor

Commercial fisherman James Bois stands astride his hand-built fishing boat at the docks of Cortez, Florida, on Aug. 20, 2020. Commercial fishermen have to be not just adept at finding and catching fish, but also managing their money from a range of activities that, for Mr. Bois, includes everything from fishing for bait to work trips to Alaska for summer salmon. As for offshore fish farms, Mr. Bois says, "100 percent, we will be affected."

Opening a can of worms

To James Bois, a commercial fisherman based here in Cortez, it’s unclear how a massive fish farm operation off the coast of Cortez will change his life. But he does know that unless Americans suddenly start consuming more seafood, his wild-caught fish – amberjack is on his list of allowable catch – will have to compete against Mr. Sims’ farmed almaco jack.

At the same time, fishing regulations deemed necessary to protect vulnerable stocks have reshaped Cortez. Today, the funky little slice of pre-Disney Florida is largely a bait fishery for larger fleet boats. If Mr. Sims began buying local bait to feed his fish, it could create a boom for Cortez, in the short term. Yet part of the plan to make open-ocean farming truly sustainable is to replace bait fish with a plant-based feed laced with algae oil. It takes 5 pounds of feed to build 1 pound of fish protein.

“Offshore farming can help us or hurt us. We don’t know which yet,” says Mr. Bois. “But one thing I know 100%: It will affect us.” 

Market dynamics, court battles, and political battles seem far on the horizon from the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, on the outskirts of Sarasota. There, Ms. Main runs her marine workshop: tubs, PVC pipes, and notes on pH and salinity scrawled on wipe-boards. Ms. Main is the aquaculture scientist who solved the mystery of spawning snook. She helped pioneer pompano as a farmed fish. She has also farmed sturgeon and redfish.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Ms. Main points out, is not involved in the planning or operation of Velella Epsilon. But Mote has been contracted to provide some 20,000 fingerlings for the project’s initial cohort of fish.

As she leans over a massive tank, she points to 28-day-old almaco jack fry gorging on brine shrimp. “Look at those little tiny row boats,” she says.

Indeed, her problems are far more immediate, given her hopes to have the demonstration pen operating by December. She is losing more of the almaco jack fry than she was expecting, forcing a reevaluation of the feeding plan. 

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But what’s harder to control than salinity is perception. In a way, how a dream to farm the open oceans clashes with shifting values on land is embodied by her work.

“We should be producing food that we eat in this country,” she says. “It’s really important, because we will do it right, it’ll be subject to our regulations, and we know what we’ll be getting.”

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New Zealand mudsnails found at FWP fish hatchery - NBC Montana

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South Carolina anglers hook record-breaking saltwater fish - Fox News

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If you’re looking to reel in glory, South Carolina is apparently the place to go fishing.

Three anglers in the Palmetto State smashed state records for three species of saltwater fish this summer, the state Department of Natural Resources announced.

“Perhaps the coronavirus has given people more opportunities to do their social distancing by heading offshore,” The Post and Courier said of the news on Sunday. “Or maybe 2020 has simply been a good year for fishing.”

FLORIDA FISHERMEN RETURN TO DOCK AND FIND OUT THE COAST GUARD THOUGHT THEY WERE MISSING

Lilli Kirkland and her skipjack tuna. (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources)

A new record was set for skipjack tuna when Lilli Kirkland hooked a 28-pound, 0.8-ounce fish near Sullivan’s Island on June 3.

During the angling adventure, Kirkland said her father pointed out what they suspected was a large school of dolphins breaking the surface, and she released her line.

“I picked up a rod and I let some of the line out. And next thing you know, I had a fish on,” she told the Carolina Sportsman.

Christopher Corgill and his  snowy grouper. (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources)

Weeks later, on June 20, Christopher Corgill caught a record-breaking snowy grouper when he reeled in a 35-pound, 12.8-ounce whopper near Goat Island.

David Lowe and his golden tilefish. (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources)

On July 4, David Lowe hooked a new record for the golden tilefish when he caught a 27-pound, 12.8-ounce monster near Murrells Inlet.

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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Kayla Rudnay said that this year has been an “exceptionally productive” one for the state records program.

“I don’t think it’s ever been this busy in terms of [saltwater fishing] records. I guess it’s the quarantine and people are fishing more. That’s a giant assumption, but it’s been much more busy with phone calls and qualifications,” Rudnay explained, per the The Post and Courier.

“This whole pandemic situation has had challenges, but it has been good to see people get out in nature more and use our resources more. It makes all of us in the natural resources world want to make sure we are protecting our resources effectively in the way we should.”

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS' CONTINUING CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

More information about the state’s saltwater game fish records program is available through the department’s website.

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Fish with a Warden - WPTZ

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About 10,000 more fishing licenses have been sold this year compared to last year. That's according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.This year, the department had to cancel a popular fishing program because of the coronavirus, but they created a new one called “Fish with a Warden.” There are many events planned throughout the state at different bodies of water.It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time fisher, adult, child or an avid angler.Wildlife officials just want you to get out, have fun and learn a little bit more about the sport.They said right now is the perfect time to get out.“It allows for social distancing. Sometimes you’re on a river bank, sometimes you’re on a pond, sometimes you’re on a boat, there's nobody near you. You don’t necessarily have to be masked up because there’s nobody around. It's nice, it's relaxing,” said Sgt. Chad Barrett of Vermont Fish & Wildlife.To find an event near you click here.

BURLINGTON, Vt. —

About 10,000 more fishing licenses have been sold this year compared to last year. That's according to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

This year, the department had to cancel a popular fishing program because of the coronavirus, but they created a new one called “Fish with a Warden.”

Advertisement

There are many events planned throughout the state at different bodies of water.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a first-time fisher, adult, child or an avid angler.

Wildlife officials just want you to get out, have fun and learn a little bit more about the sport.

They said right now is the perfect time to get out.

“It allows for social distancing. Sometimes you’re on a river bank, sometimes you’re on a pond, sometimes you’re on a boat, there's nobody near you. You don’t necessarily have to be masked up because there’s nobody around. It's nice, it's relaxing,” said Sgt. Chad Barrett of Vermont Fish & Wildlife.

To find an event near you click here.

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Pebble and fish, not one or the other - Anchorage Daily News

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In 2008, I was asked to lead the newly formed Pebble Partnership. I made it clear to the project’s two partners, Anglo American and Northern Dynasty, that if they were looking for a mine cheerleader, they were talking to the wrong guy. Like most Alaskans, I had questions about Pebble, but I also believed strongly in the permitting process. A controversial project like Pebble is exactly why we have a regulatory process for fully evaluating projects.

I took the job with the understanding that, if Pebble posed too great of a risk to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, I would have to say that. Both companies accepted my terms because everyone knew Pebble had to coexist with the fishery. To see if the project could meet that goal, one of my first hires was Ken Taylor, the former director of the Division of Habitat for the Department of Fish and Game who also had spent time in the Bristol Bay region.

Ken led an exceptionally talented environmental team whose care for their work was, and remains, top-tier. Their consultants studied fish, water, a plethora of other issues and coordinated closely with the engineering team to produce mine plans designed to protect the environment.

I had the opportunity to visit often with the stakeholders of the region, including those who opposed the project. I visited with elders who were very worried about the future of their communities because the young people were leaving in search of better opportunities. Our work with the elders of the region remains among the high points of my time with Pebble. We progressed from an initial meeting full of fear and suspicion to later meetings full of constructive conversations.

I witnessed the transformation of our local staff as they grew in confidence and expertise from the jobs at Pebble. I watched one young man from Nondalton grow from a driller’s helper to a fully credentialed driller running his own rig with a crew staffed with his two brothers. I knew the importance of jobs for rural residents and the economic benefits the project could bring to the area from my time with NANA working on the Red Dog Mine.

After serving six years as the project’s CEO, I had seen the science and knew we could develop a mine that would not harm the fishery, but we had to get into the federal environmental review process. We accomplished that goal by filing a plan that was smaller than originally envisioned, with many additional environmental safeguards.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has published the final Environmental Impact Statement for Pebble. It was thorough and its conclusions are clear. In the EIS, the Corps’ professional military and civilian staff (not political appointees) and their independent consultant found that the proposed mine would not have a measurable impact on returning salmon to Bristol Bay, nor would it result in long-term changes to the health of the subsistence or commercial fishery in Bristol Bay. Alaskans now have a federal review that says a mine can be done responsibly at the Pebble deposit.

The EIS further states Pebble would have substantial positive impacts on the communities closest to the mine. It would provide year-round employment, revenue to the local government, and help drive down the cost of goods through a new transportation corridor.

Certainly, there is opposition to Pebble. Some of it comes from the usual Outside interest groups who oppose all resource development projects in Alaska. They employ fearmongering and misinformation to scare people, using absurd claims such as the notion that we will destroy the entire fishery and ecology of Bristol Bay – an area the size of the state of Ohio. They attempt to terrify people by claiming we will use cyanide and mercury – neither of which are part of our processing.  Our opponents often cite EPA’s faulty analysis of a fantasy mine the agency concocted that bears no resemblance to the mine plan we submitted to the Corps.

Some of the opposition comes from the Bristol Bay region, but that opposition is centered in Dillingham, a community with many economic opportunities more than 100 miles from the project.

Interestingly, the most support for Pebble comes from people living closest to the project because they have seen how jobs associated with the project can improve the lives of people living in the Iliamna Lake region and have been reassured by the findings of the EIS.

I hope more Alaskans will study the conclusions of the EIS to see how we protect the fishery and what Pebble could mean for Alaska’s future. At a time when Alaska’s economy is faltering and our fiscal situation is on life support, Pebble can be part of the solution to both of these problems.

John Shively is the chairman of the Pebble Partnership’s board of directors.

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18 places to fish near San Antonio - KSAT San Antonio

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SAN ANTONIO – Feeling the need for some fresh air? Maybe you want to teach a younger member of the family how to fish?

No matter what the reason, these 18 fishing spots in the San Antonio-area are great locations for casting.

Even if you aren’t a fan of fishing, some of these fishing destinations also feature hiking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and camping. Residents that visit these parks are still encouraged to wear a face mask and to practice social distancing.

A fishing license is required for adult anglers and can be purchased starting at $11 for a one-day, all-water access license for Texas residents. Children aged 16 and younger fish for free, in addition to anyone born before Jan. 1, 1931.

Licenses can be purchased online at the TPWD website, by phone or in-person at more than 1,700 retailers across Texas.

To order by phone, call (800) 895-4248 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here are some fishing spots worth visiting in the San Antonio area:

Boerne City Lake Park

• Located at 1 City Lake Road, this park has everything from a massive lake to a disc golf course. Because of COVID-19, there is a capacity limit for the park and once the park has reached capacity for the day, nobody else will be allowed inside. The park will also be closed for Labor Day weekend. Click here for more information.

Brackenridge Park

• Located at 3700 N. St. Mary’s Street, Brackenridge Park is an oasis in the city. Established in 1899, this park is 343-acres and sits along 2.2 miles of the San Antonio River. Its central location makes it an easy drive for anyone who lives in San Antonio. Brackenridge Park is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas State Antiquities Landmark. Learn more about the park here.

Braunig Lake

• Formerly known as Victor Braunig Lake, this body of water can be found about 17 miles south of San Antonio on Highway 37. The lake is known to have red drum, largemouth bass, channel and blue catfish. Find more information here.

Calaveras Lake

• Located 20 miles south of San Antonio off Loop 1604, Calaveras Lake is an excellent spot for fishing. Red drum, channel catfish, blue catfish, largemouth bass and more can all be found in Calaveras Lake. Find more information here.

Canyon Lake

• The visitor center for Canyon Lake is located at 3934 FM 2673. Visitors to Canyon Lake, in addition to fishing, can go camping, boating, hiking, swimming and more. Canyon Lake has 80 miles of shoreline and there are many places to rent in the area if you’re looking to stay for longer than a day trip. More information can be found here.

Converse North Park City Lake

• Located at 8200 Spring Town Street, this park is known for great fishing and has been stocked by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the past. There are fields for playing baseball and football as well as a basketball court. For more information, click here.

Denman Estate Park

• Located at 7735 Mockingbird Lane in the Medical Center area, this park is known for its relaxing, tranquil atmosphere. Visitors can fish, walk around the trails, enjoy the picnic areas and there are plenty of photo opportunities here as well. For more information on the park, click here.

Earl Scott Pond

• Located on the Leon Creek Greenway near the Buddy Calk Trailhead at 12160 Babcock Road, this pond has a history of being stocked with fish from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Bass, catfish and bluegill have all been previously stocked at Earl Scott Pond.

Elmendorf Lake Park

• Located at 3700 W Commerce Street, Elmendorf Lake Park allows fishing from the bank or a pier overlooking the water. The park also features trails, walkable bridges, and a water play area. Even if you’re not looking to go fishing, this is still a good place to enjoy the outdoors and take a stroll. The park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. To learn more about the park, click here.

Fischer Park

• There are two fishing ponds located in Fischer Park in New Braunfels. The park, located at 1935 Hilltop Summit Road, also has greenway trails. Find out more information here.

Landa Park

• Located at 164 Landa Park Drive in New Braunfels, this massive 51-acre park has everything from a wading pool and boathouse to a golf course, nature trails, and of course - places to fish. Click here for more information.

Live Oak City Park

• Located at 18001 Park Drive in Live Oak, this park has plenty of amenities, in addition to being a primary fishing spot for locals. The park also features several sporting fields, picnic sites, and allows for various types of boats, however, there are a few requirements for those that do go boating. For more information, click here.

Medina Lake

• This lake, located about 40 miles northwest of San Antonio, is known for having clear waters and is great for those looking for a day trip to spend some time out on the water. The lake features private lakeside camps and boat ramps are available as well. For more information, click here.

Miller’s Pond

• Located at 6175 Old Pearsall Road, Miller’s Pond is a 42-acre park. The park’s pond is regularly stocked with fish by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, making it a popular spot for fishing in San Antonio. Read more here.

South Side Lions Park

• Located at 4008 Pecan Valley Drive, South Side Lions Park is known as a good spot for fishing in San Antonio. The park also features picnic areas, pavilions, a community center and trails that are part of the Salado Creek Greenway Trail — plenty of activities for the whole family. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day. For more information, click here.

Tom Slick Park

• Located at 7400 Texas 151 Access Road, this park has also previously been stocked with fish by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The park also has a soccer, football and baseball/softball field. Find more information here.

Wheeler Park

• Located at 10239 Ingram Road, wheeler park is small with just a few benches and picnic tables. However, there is a walking trail and a fishing pond for anglers. Find more information here.

Woodlawn Lake Park

• Located at 221 Alexander Avenue, this is one of the most popular fishing spots in San Antonio, according to Yelp users. The park features a large pond for fishing, a playground, shaded seating areas, hiking and bicycle trails, a community center, a swimming pool, and plenty of other amenities. The park is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. For more information, click here.

The Link Lonk


August 31, 2020 at 12:13AM
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Catch their attention: Teach kids right when it comes to fishing - Index-Journal

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Taking a child fishing is one of the most memorable experiences for both the child and the adult.

Here are some ways you can maximize the fun and help a kid enjoy fishing as a lifelong passion:

Practice before you go. Fishing requires patience. You spend a lot more time baiting hooks and waiting than you do catching fish.

Buy a kid a simple beginner’s short pole with a closed-face reel. Don’t try to create a professional bass angler out of your 3-year-old.

Casting accuracy will be one of the most important things your child can learn, as it is this technique that will, later in life, be critical in going after the big fish.

Attach a few weights to the fishing line — with no hook for safety — and take your young child to the yard and make a bullseye with spray paint. Have the child make casts toward the bullseye, then reward the child with a treat for hitting the bullseye. This will help foster an appreciation for a basic and repeated aspect of fishing that even adults find boring.

If you are able to make casting accuracy fun, a child will have a good time fishing, even if the fish aren’t biting.

Watch fishing videos with your child. There is nothing more exciting aside from catching a fish than watching others do it. There are plenty of videos online. Try to find ones with other kids. Instilling the idea in your child that there’s always a surprise when fishing — and that there is always a bigger fish out there — will create a lifelong desire to return to the water.

Keep it simple. As an adult, you might use a baitcaster reel and spinnerbait. You might fish from a boat and use a depth-finder to find structure under the water so you can search for bass hiding spots. For a kid, it’s best to start simple.

Going to a stocked local pond and fishing with a nightcrawler and a float from the bank is an ideal way to start. With a float, the child most likely will avoid getting hooks snagged on rocks or sunken branches.

You should teach your child to gently move the bait in the water to simulate action. This will be beneficial for future instruction on how to catch bigger fish.

Start your child early on baiting hooks. Teach them to respect the sharpness of the hook, then help them guide the worm onto the hook. It’s best to put the hook through the end of the worm and slowly weave the worm onto the hook rather than creating a balled bait. Leave a little tail on the bait.

As for hooks, go with the smallest. They can and will handle bigger fish. Don’t tighten the drag on the reel fully. Leave enough drag that small fish can’t pull on it, but it will be enough to handle a larger fish. Nothing is more disappointing than a broken line while trying to land a fish.

Teach fishing basics and safety. Fishing is fun, but it can be dangerous. Explain to your child the importance of looking around before casting to make sure no one gets snagged. Tell your child stories while waiting for fish to bite. This will further foster a feeling that fishing is more than catching fish — because, if it’s only about catching fish, your child might lose interest.

You can tell fishing stories, talk about what might be under the water, etc. Anything to make the experience meaningful will help impress upon the child that fishing is fun even if you don’t catch a fish.

Drop in a few pointers without being too technical. Your child one day will graduate to an open-face reel, artificial lures and possibly fishing from a boat. If you go to a pond or lake, try to find a shady spot under a tree that is hanging over the water. Both small and large fish often can be found there. If no trees, look for areas where there is structure in the water (a branch in the water, under a dock or near a piling).

Move around. Don’t stay in one place more than 15 minutes unless you are catching fish. Exploring different fishing spots keeps things interesting, and will help the child learn, for later in life, that successful boat fishermen are always on the move, sliding in and out of coves and fishing at the points.

Make catching a fish a big deal. Be sure to photograph the fish and print it and post it on your child’s bedroom wall or on the refrigerator. Add text and graphics to it. Give your child a lasting memory.

Go to fish hatcheries. There are fish hatcheries across the state. This is a good place where your child can see lots of fish and learn how they interact. Consult a DNR representative for information about hatchlings, fishing rodeos and other activities.

Teach the rules. At many places, there are size or number limits on fish. Teach these to your child and explain why following the rules are best for the health of the fish and for the overall fishing experience. Catch and release unless you have a need to fish to supplement your food supply. If you don’t eat fish, consider donating them to a needy family or an elderly person.

The Link Lonk


August 30, 2020 at 02:00PM
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Catch their attention: Teach kids right when it comes to fishing - Index-Journal

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Gone Fishin': Tracking the fish movement | Sports | kenoshanews.com - Kenosha News

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Fishermen working bait and small lures from boats are locating fish on Kenosha County inland lakes.

Panfish and largemouth have been active on Salem Lakes recently, with most fishermen setting up bait shallow beneath a bobber near points, piers and entrances to nearby channels.

The Lake Michigan shoreline bite continues to be ho-hum as near-shore water temperatures continue to hover in the low 70s. I’m always hoping for a bite from any fish at this time, and I also keep moving up and down the harbor channel.

Myself and other fishermen are keeping our ears close to the wind for any rumored catches that may be coming from other harbors in Wisconsin and Illinois. Most areas are open to fishing, although some are closed due to the pandemic.

This is a challenging time.

Bill’s best bets

Well, if you know where the stepping stones are at Lake Michigan, you may find a few king salmon swimming in about 320 feet of water 14 miles east of the Kenosha shoreline.

Shoreline fishermen in Kenosha are fortunate that Lake Michigan is close to everyone in this area. Your best bet at this time is to try and get to the Lake Michigan shoreline to fish for about an hour per outing.

Yes, this continues to be a challenging moment for Kenosha anglers when there are few numbers of fish swimming close by. However, when the water temperatures finally cool down to a comfortable range for the salmon, after that first hook-up it will be like they never left.

Bluegill and largemouth bass are still keeping fishermen busy on our inland lakes, and the gills and bass are still chasing worms and small minnows. The crappie have been difficult to locate and the yellow perch have been on the small side of the scale when found.

Water levels were high last week on the Wisconsin River, and the gates at the power dams have been opened frequently, scattering the walleye and the whitebass. Hopefully, river water levels will be just right in time for Labor Day weekend. Trolling crankbaits and drift fishing with live minnows and casting plastic baits — either twister-style or worm-style — will attract the bass and the walleye.

Inside the Kenosha harbor, I keep a steady round of lures in the water, alternating my fishing times and keeping my fingers crossed with hopes that a fish will grab on to the lure. I also scout up and down the Kenosha shorelines looking for any surfacing fish whatsoever.

I suggest to keep motivated, keep making your trips to the water and keep your ears open for any fresh rumors of fish movement.

Good luck, stay safe, wear your life vest and take a kid fishing!

PETE ONOSKO PHOTO

Pete Onosko hits onto the green Friday during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club. Onosko defeated Jamie Young by two strokes to claim his first Senior County Open title.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

JAMIE YOUNG PHOTO

Jamie Young grimaces as a putt stays out of the hole Friday during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club. Pete Onosko defeated Young by two strokes for the title. Young was going for his third consecutive win in the event.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 1

Sam Picchietti watches a trip bounce onto the green during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 2

Jamie Young lines up a putt during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 3

Jim Grom watches his ball during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 4

Jim Grom watches his shot during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 5

Dave Lee watches a tee shot during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 6

Dave Archibald watches a putt during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

SR. OPEN 7

Dave Funk watches a tee shot during the final round of the 22nd annual Men’s Senior County Open at Spring Valley Country Club.

PHOTO BY PAUL WILLIAMS

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The Link Lonk


August 30, 2020 at 03:00PM
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Fishermen might not smoke, but fish do - Ravalli Republic

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Bitterroot River fishermen are starting their annual wait for flows to drop low enough for good fishing to return. 

PERRY BACKUS, Ravalli Republic

Writing about fly fishing in late August is difficult when you look out the window and what you see is the smoky and hazy conditions in the Bitterroot.

Are there any positive things happening on the river? Is the fishing great, good, average or poor? You have to be on the river regularly to give an accurate report to those who wait in anticipation to start their trip tomorrow.

Fly shops are a great source for this information and we all depend heavily on the fishing reports from the guides as they come in to share the information with the fly shop employees.

Smoke and haze can be great for the fish but poor for the fisherman. A hypothesis was written in 2018 to test the theory that wildfire smoke was good for fish.

The abstract written said that wildfire smoke could cool the summer river temperatures by attenuating solar radiation, air temperatures, precipitation, river discharge and water temperatures on the Lower Klamath River Basin in Northern California.

If this is true then the Bitterroot should exhibit the same conditions with the wildfire smoke that is entering our valley. The abstract goes on to say that smoke reduced radiation in their study and cooled the air temperatures about one degree centigrade. The average temperature change in the water was 1.32 degrees centigrade in twelve of the river and stream locations that were analyzed.

This smoke induced cooling has the potential to benefit cold water adapted species, particularly because wildfires are more likely to occur during the warmest and driest years and seasons. Remember that this is a theory only and even though the reduction in temperatures were measured there was no study done on the fish to see the reaction and health conditions during this cooling event.

This doesn’t mean a whole lot to the average fisherman because we can measure the water temperatures ourselves with a water thermometer and find out the part of the day when the temperatures are the coolest. USGS does a pretty good job of keeping track on some spots of the Bitterroot but accuracy can only be approximate.

For example the water temperatures at the Darby measuring station can be from 56 degrees F to 63 degrees F in one day and at the Missoula measuring station the temperatures range from 60 degrees to 72 degrees F during the same day.

The coolest water temperatures hours of the day are in the early morning and this is usually the best time for the fish to move around and feed. As the day warms up the insects begin to hatch and the fish become more active in the feeding lanes. In the late morning and early evening hours the water temperatures are the highest and the fish are not as active feeding on top of the water surface. This is the best time to use your nymphs and streamers to coax the fish our of their hiding holes.

Good Fishing,

Bill Bean.

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The Link Lonk


August 30, 2020 at 05:27AM
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Fishermen might not smoke, but fish do - Ravalli Republic

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