Competitive bass fishing on the move, and more

Posted on: November 2, 2015 | Bob Frye | Comments

Dave  Lefebre 2
Professional anglers like Erie County’s Dave Lefebre might soon find themselves fishing Mexico.

Competitive bass fishing is going south of the border.

FLW recently signed an exclusive agreement with a company known as LUTCOM SA DE CV of Mexico City to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in that country.

According to FLW officials, Mexico will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers who are citizens of the host country to the new international division at the Rayovac FLW Series Championship beginning in 2016. Two anglers will compete as pros and two as co-anglers.

The top pro will win $95,000 and perhaps a Ranger boat. The co-angler will win a boat.

The highest-finishing pro from the newly introduced International Division at the Rayovac Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup.

Mexico is the fourth country to sign on for international sanctioning, joining Canada, South Korea and China. FLW said additional qualifying tournaments in other countries are forthcoming.

Reporting woes

It’s not just Pennsylvania.

For years here, there has been angst about how many hunters refuse to report harvesting a deer. State law says they have to do so, within 10 days. The Pennsylvania Game Commission estimates fewer than four in 10 comply. That’s been declining consistently for decades, too.

Louisiana hunters share that habit.

According to a story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, hunters there have been required to report any deer harvested to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries since the 2008-09 season. They’re not.

According to the newspaper, the reported harvest is thought to be less than half the agency’s estimated harvest.

Trout and life jackets

Anglers are reminded that the limit on trout at this time of year is three fish, not five. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocked numerous area lakes and stream sections recently, and there have been cases of people keeping too many fish.

The commission also is reminding anglers and boaters that they are required to wear a life jacket now through April 30 when underway or at anchor in boats less than 16 feet in length or on any canoe or kayak.

According to the agency, a disproportionate number of boating fatalities occur from late fall into early spring, when water temperatures drop.

Old deer

How long can deer survive in the wild? Pretty long, apparently.

According to a story by the Quality Deer Management Association, a hunter in New York shot a doe in fall 2013. Testing revealed it to have been born in 1993, making it 20 12 years old.

That makes it the second-oldest whitetail ever aged. The record belongs to a 22-year-old deer in Louisiana.

Another doe taken on the same New York property site proved to be 15 12 years old.

Outdoor film

Wild Excellence Films is doing a movie about Cook Forest State Park’s famous trees.

Titled “Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest,” the film is a documentary about the trees under attack from the hemlock woody adelgid and efforts to save them.

It’s scheduled to be released nationwide in late 2016.

Banded birds

Hunters who shoot a banded dove, goose, duck or woodcock this fall are being asked to report it at 1-800-327-BAND orreportband.gov. The information is used to monitor survival and populations.

Last year, more than 10,000 migratory game birds, including more than 9,000 waterfowl, were banded in Pennsylvania.

This story originally appeared at triblive.com/sports/outdoors.

Bob Frye is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobfryeoutdoors.

Bob Frye is the everybodyadventures.com editor. Reach him at 412-838-5148 or bfrye@535mediallc.com. See other stories, blogs, videos and more at everybodyadventures.com.

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