Ish Monroe & Brendan Cucinello at the 2013 World Fishing & Outdoor Expo in Suffern, NY

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's is proposing a hunting and fishing licenses restructuring program.

"Governor Cuomo Unveils NY Open for Fishing and Hunting with Plan to Reduce Cost of Hunting and Fishing Licenses"

On February 20, the Governor's office announced NY Open for Fishing and Hunting, a plan to streamline hunting and fishing licenses and reduce license fees to support tourism opportunities and benefit sportsmen and sportswomen throughout the state. The proposal is part of the 30-day amendments to the 2013-14 Executive Budget and would reduce fees paid by hundreds of thousands of hunters, anglers and trappers while maintaining support for the states fish and wildlife programs.

Anglers lands new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass

News of the Week
For Immediate Release: MARCH 23, 2012

A new Oklahoma state record largemouth bass was caught Friday, March 23, at Cedar Lake in southeast Oklahoma. The fish weighed 14 lbs. 12.3 oz. and was caught by Poteau angler Benny Williams, Jr. while on a camping trip at the 78-acre LeFlore Co. lake.
           

Williams caught the bass at 11 a.m. on a ¼ oz. Striker King jig. This fish measured 26 inches in length and 22 3/8 inches in girth.
           

Williams' fish breaks a state record held since 1999 when William Cross caught a 14-lb. 11.52-oz. bass from Broken Bow Lake.
           

"Catching the state record largemouth bass in Oklahoma is a big deal and catching a fish this large is a big deal," said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It speaks to the quality of fishing we have in Oklahoma and also to the anglers who get out there and fish for them. We congratulate him on his great catch."

New largemouth bass record set in Arkansas

News - Bassmaster

Mar 1, 2012

WYNNE, Ark. – Almost 36 years to the day, Arkansas’s largemouth bass state record has finally been broken. On Tuesday, Paul Crowder of Forrest City set the new record on Lake Dunn near Wynne. Crowder’s lunker weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces, breaking the old record by just a single ounce.

Aaron Mardis of Memphis had held the state record since March 2, 1976. Mardis’ 16-4 fish was caught on Mallard Lake near Manilla in Mississippi County.

NEWS - Bassmaster.com

By Deb Johnson
FEB 26, 2012

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. — “Go, Chris Lane!”

As he stepped off the 2012 Bassmaster Classic stage on Sunday, Bobby Lane bellowed his brother’s name. Bobby had just been knocked out of contention. He knew Chris still had a good chance.

More than good. Chris Lane of Guntersville, Ala., won the Bassmaster Classic Sunday by more than 3 pounds, fending off hard-charging Greg Vinson. Lane’s victory was his second Bassmaster tournament title of 2012. Each came with a qualification for the 2013 Classic.

Lane brought 51 pounds, 6 ounces to the scales over three days to claim the 2012 crown of professional bass fishing and the $500,000 first-place prize. It was his first Classic win.

Vinson, of Wetumpka, Ala., had a 47-15 total. Finishing third was first-day leader Keith Poche of Pike Road, Ala., with 45-15. Fourth was 2008 Classic champ Alton Jones of Woodway, Texas, whose tournament total was 45-14. Ott DeFoe of Knoxville, Tenn., shot from 15th to finish fifth with 44-14.

LINDNER WINS EVERSTART SERIES WESTERN DIVISION EVENT ON LAKE HAVASU

News Release FLW
 
Baker wins co-angler title
 
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 25, 2012) – Troy Lindner of Los Angeles, Calif., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart Series Western Division event on Lake Havasu with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49 pounds, 11 ounces. For his victory, Lindner earned $29,665 and a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor.

Weather talk dominates

News - Bassmaster.com

Feb. 23, 2012

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. — No group, not even farmers, talk about weather more than fishermen, especially when big changes are blowing in the wind. So there was lots of weather chatter among the 49 competitors on the day before the Bassmaster Classic begins.

A southwest wind howling up to 30 miles an hour provided the background noise at media day Thursday, as temperatures rose to 80 degrees. When takeoff begins on the Red River at 7 a.m. Friday, the wind will have shifted to north-northwest and the temperature is predicted to be 46 degrees. Wind speeds of up to 25 miles an hour will make it feel colder.

“The weather (Friday) is going to be the biggest thing in this event,” said Mark Tucker of Kirkwood, Mo., who is fishing in his eighth Classic. “The wind is going to dictate everything.

Red River obstacle course
Anglers have plenty to worry about just getting to fish

News - Bassmaster.com

By Trey Reid - Feb 20, 2012

If you’re trying to get to a bass in the Red River, you’ll have to clear more than a few hurdles. From the locks and dams that make commercial navigation possible to the stumpy backwaters that harbor healthy bass populations, numerous obstacles stand between Bassmaster Classic anglers and the winning fish.

“It’s by far the stumpiest place I’ve ever fished,” said Aaron Martens, who finished ninth here in the 2009 Classic. “The first day of practice – even the first hour of practice – you’ll do more damage to your boat than you’ll do all season.”

Martens tore up a $700 propeller during the 2009 Classic on the Red River. He also stuck his boat on a stump in another backwater area.

WILBANKS WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE BULLDOG DIVISION ON LAKE LANIER

FLW Outdoors

News Release - 2/20/12

Kirkland wins co-angler title
 
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (Feb. 20, 2012) – Matthew Wilbanks of Gainesville, Ga., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 8 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Bulldog Division event on Lake Lanier. For his victory, Wilbanks earned $4,729.
    
“I gambled, and it paid off,” said Wilbanks. “Lanier is more known for spotted bass, but I fished for largemouth, right out of the gate. You’re not going to get as many bites fishing largemouth as you would fishing for more consistent spotted bass because the bite isn’t nearly as predictable. I figured if I did it all day, I would get one or two good fish and hope I would end up with five. The gamble paid off, and that’s what happened.