Earth Day 2009

So today is Earth Day. I wish it was a public holiday so I could go fishing, but its not. It is a good day to reflect on the impact you make on the earth though. As fishermen we spend a lot of time outdoors, and there plenty of things we can do to help the planet. Here are six green fishing ideas!

6. When packing food and drink for a fishing trip, skip the bottled water. Stick with cans or glass bottles if you can, better yet, take your own flask filled with desirable liquids. Glass and aluminum and be easily recycled over and over, where as plastic eventually breaks down during the recycling process. You can even buy bottled water in a can now! If helping the environment isn’t reason enough, think about how much money you’ll save by using tap-water.

5. Pick up used fishing line. I filled a grocery bag full of discarded fishing line (and coffee cups) last week. Most people don’t realize that the line will still be sitting there well after our grand children have passed away. Its an easy thing to do, and many fishing stores offer a recycling program for old line, so check with your local bait shop!

4. Make your own lures and tie your own flies. One of my big complaints with fishing tackle is the amount of plastic used in packaging. I’ve been making lures for a few years now, and have not only saved money, but created less waste as a result. There are dozens of great sites to buy lure parts for everything from crank baits to spinner baits.

3. Use a canoe, or downsize you boat motor. If you are a big bass fisherman, not doubt you know all about the latest high power, gas guzzling bass boats. Downsize your motor, or go with a four-stroke and you’ll be saving gas money and the environment in the long run. Even some major fishing tournaments are starting to go green, just check out the worlds first carbon neutral sailfish tourney.

2. Fish with friends! If you are going out in the boat, invite some fiends along. Call it boat-pooling – theres no need for you and your buddies to be out on the water in multiple boats, meet at the launch and fish in the same boat.

1. Try biodegradable fishing tackle. Berkley has had a line of lures called GULP! that are completely biodegradable and many other companies, such as Trigger X, are following suit. You can even switch to biodegradable fishing line!

If you have any tips for greener fishing, feel free to share them with us!

Luscious Lures

Mmmm lures.

via Eastcost Angler

iFly

I dropped my cell phone in the water a few years ago, but it never occurred to me to turn it into a fishing lure. I guess I’m not as creative as this guy.

A fly made using parts from a broken iPhone

via Digg

Bioline Biodegradable Fishing Line

Every now and then there is a truly incredible fishing product unleashed to the world and I think Bioline sound like one of the best fishing products ever made. As a fisherman, it is very important to me not to damage the areas I fish. I stopped using monofiliment line years ago, believing that a switch to braided line would not only catch me more fish, but would be better for the environment. Unfortunately, as I’ve recently learned, braided lines will often take hundreds of years longer to biodegrade then mono.

I hate to say it, but a lot fishermen cause serious harm to the environments they fish by leaving behind garbage and bundles of fishing line tangled around rocks and trees. I try to clean up some of the areas I fish, but its seems to be a loosing battle. Trash like left over mono line will be around 500 years from now, creating not only an eyesore, but potential deathtraps for animals. I’m really looking forward to testing this new line, if its as good as it sounds I’ll be using it on all my reels.

Bioline biofilament fishing line biodegrades in the environment in five years. Used properly, this is the only characteristic you’ll never notice.

Stored in its original package, Bioline has a five-year shelf life. Once spooled on a reel, the line will retain 100% of its strength for a period of 10 to 12 months, with no special handling.

May The Force Be With You

What do you get when you mix Star Wars and fishing? A Lightsaber fishing rod! Time for fish to feel the power of the Darkside!

via Topless Robot

Technology Versus Experience

If you have ever wondered if the latest fishing technologies will make you a better fisherman, you are not alone. Fishermen spend thousands of dollars each year to be able to catch more fish and in the end is it really worth it? Current.com investigates by sending a first time fisherman, armed with the latest fishing gadgets, to face off against a seasoned bass fishing pro. Who will emerge victorious? Watch the video to find out!

The bottom line is this: if you want to catch more fish, don’t spend more money, fish more.