Indiana Alters Trout/Salmon Stocking to Improve Fall Runs

Details

Published: 24 February 2015

By Louie Stout

Naturally-produced steelhead smoltAddition by subtraction may not make sense to some, but trout and salmon fish managers believe it does when stocking the St. Joseph River.

Beginning this year, Skamania will be stocked in fewer numbers, but biologists believe it will increase the fall returns because the fish will be stocked as a larger size and survive better.

Previously, Indiana stocked 130,000 7-inch Skamania. Beginning this year, that number will be reduced to about 75,000 8-inchers.

The strategy has worked with walleye on the St. Joe, where a stocking number reduction, coupled with planting larger fish sizes, has delivered a better fishery.

Read more …

Hometown Favorite Casey Ashley Wins Bassmaster Classic Title

Details

Published: 23 February 2015

Hometown Favorite Casey Ashley Wins Bassmaster Classic Title

GREENVILLE, S.C. — On Sunday evening at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Casey Ashley completed a journey that began more than three decades ago and seemed to drag on forever these past few weeks.

The 31-year-old South Carolina native, who has lived just a few miles from Lake Hartwell all his life, caught five bass that weighed 20 pounds, 3 ounces to cap a moving victory in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on his home waters with a three-day total of 50-1.

The weight was enough to help Ashley pass Elite Series pro Bobby Lane of Florida, who finished second with 46-15, and Texas angler Takahiro Omori, who placed third with 44-3.

The end of the weigh-in meant Ashley could finally take a deep breath after seven weeks when the lake was mostly off-limits due to B.A.S.S. rules and when virtually everyone he saw wanted to talk about him being the favorite to win.

“I worked a show in Greenville at the TD Convention Center (in mid-January), and I bet I thought about the Classic 50,000 times while I was standing there,” said Ashley, who won the Classic on his sixth try. “My first Classic was here (in 2008), and ever since then I’ve been saying I’d like to have that one back.

“I wanted to win so bad here at home, and I had a long time to think about it. It was pretty rough.”

Once it began, Ashley made the most of his opportunity.

An accomplished singer, songwriter and musician in addition to his career as a pro angler, Ashley opened the event with a stirring rendition of the national anthem before Friday’s frigid opening-round takeoff at Green Pond Landing in Anderson, S.C.

Read more …