Take it to the bank: Canadian's are winning big on Bountyfishing.com

Word is starting to circulate of the relatively big money being made by a couple of Canadian anglers from Bountyfishing.com, which bills itself as “home of the world’s largest fishing tournament.” Manitoba’s Aaron Wiebe and Ontario’s Greg Amiel (both of whom have been featured in *Outdoor Canada magazine this year for other feats) have amassed $27,250 and $20,685, respectively, in the two-and-a-half years the web-based tourney has run. And there are 16 other Canuck anglers among Bountyfishing.com’s top-50 money winners’ list. The even better news? You can get in on the action, and money, too.

Register for free as a member of Bountyfishing.com, then you can entry the weekly tournaments for just $7 a day or $19 for the week. The competition basically works like this: fish caught anywhere in North America are judged on length not weight. Anglers must upload two photos of a catch to BF; one with the fish on a flat surface with a tape measure and a code number from BF, and another of the angler with the fish. If your fish is the longest entered in a given species category for the week, you win.

The prize money and species categories vary from week to week. For instance, during July 6 to 12 only largemouth and smallmouth categories are open with prizes from $500 to $100 for first through fifth in each. Other weeks, more species categories are open, including categories for walleye, panfish, musky/pike, salmon, trout, catfish/carp and striped bass. And your entry fee allows you to enter one fish into each category.

Bountyfishing uses a exclusive advanced digital forensics software based on counterfeit image detection used by top law enforcement agencies to verify the legitimacy of the size of each fish. Participants are also required to abide by all provincial laws and regulations, and all fish must be caught alive in a legal and sporting manner, by proper angling methods.

Of course, there’s a little more to the rules then I’ve summarized in terms of camera settings and tournament timing, so be sure to check out the site, which clearly explains everything. And if you want to possibly make some cash on the side while pursuing your passion like Aaron Weibe and Greg Amile, you might want to check out Bountyfishing.com—especially when it holds a free tournament the week of July 20 to 26.

Here’s a hot tip for hunters starting to gear up for the fall: The International Hunter Education Association Foundation is having a fundraising sale of Columbia Sportswear outdoor clothing on its Web site (www.ihea.com). Selected styles and sizes of discontinued Columbia vests, jackets, pants and shirts are being offered at 50 per cent or more off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price on a first-come, first-serve basis. (Check out the link here.) Says IHEAF president Chad Bisinger of the sale:

“The hunter education program nationwide needs additional funding to make contemporary classes even more effective and to meet the growing demand to train safe and ethical hunters. This special online sales gives outdoorsmen and –women a chance to support hunter education…and get some great deals on top-quality outdoor clothing at the same time. We are grateful to the Columbia Sportswear Company for this very generous contribution and their obvious support of hunter eduction.”

There are some 1,900 items available, many priced in the U.S.$30- to $40-range. This in undoubtedly a great chance to pick up some new threads for fall and support a great cause at the same time. The IHEA comprises 67 state and provincial wildlife conservation agencies, and some 70,000 volunteer instructors who teach hunter education throughout North America. And by the way, the IHEA Web site is a great resource for locating local hunter education programs, basic hunter safety information and much more.

Gear here: TackleTour.com's homepage

If you’re an angling gearhead, you’re sure to appreciate the Web site TackleTour.com. Billing itself as “The Angler’s source for tackle news and reviews,” the site boasts features on new rods, reels, lines, lures, terminal tackle, tools, storage, watercraft, apparel, electronics and more. The site archives all it’s older reviews (organized both by manufacturer and equipment type), so if you’re looking for an opinion on the quality of a particularly used gear item, you might just find it. TackleTour also has a discussion forum with boards dedicated to tackle, hot deals, fishing techniques, DIYers, manufacturer support and more, as well as an annual Editor’s Choice and Best Value Awards section that highlights the gear its editor thinks is the greatest of the latest. TackleTour promises it’s an independent site, and given the range of manufacturers and products it covers, as well as having read its reviews for years, I’d say you can trust that assurance. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Check it out yourself.

Most modern anglers and hunters are technologically savvy, particularly when it

Tweet, tweet: Facts of Fishing's Dave Mercer's Twitter page

comes to gadgets such as fishfinders and GPS units. So, I suppose, it’s hardly surprising that a raft of famous Canadian anglers, have joined the ranks of the latest technological fad: Twitter. By my search, the popular social-networking tool, counts among it’s users TV icon Bob Izumi, World Fishing Network hosts Mariko Izumi and J.P. DeRose, Canada’s self-proclaimed fishing funnyman Dave Mercer (Facts of Fishing), and TV hostesses Kathryn Maroun (What a Catch) and Courtney Hatfield (Get Out!).

Now, I’m far from a technological wiz myself, but I’m certainly not a newbie, and the whole point of Twitter is somewhat lost on me. As you undoubtedly know, Twitter users send “tweets,” short messages about anything and everything so their friends, family and fans, can keep up with them. My question: Is this really info I need to know? Here’s a sampling of recent tweets from some of the aforementioned anglers:

Bob Izumi
Just hit a moose straight on and totaled my SUV. Bright side - lucky to be alive.
June 2 at 8:42 PM

Courtney Hatfield
At work, going to grab some lunch and hope my stocks are up by the time I’m back
May 19 at 11:24 AM

JP DeRose
Just got back from a family reunion picnic. Great to see everybody after way too long.
June 7 at 6 PM

Kathryn Maroun
Back in the studio today to work on the show from Japan for series 5.
June 2 at 4:15 AM

Dave Mercer
Packing!!!!!!!
June 4 at 9:28

Other than Izumi’s close call with Bullwinkle, there’s not a lot of significance in the tweets from these folks. But, if you’re a hard-core fan, maybe you care that Dave Mercer was packing. Just what he was packing? I’ll let you ask.

One of my favourite lures is the Mepps Aglia in-line spinner. So I was intrigued to stumble upon digital recordings of the sound of several Mepps spinners as they’re retrieved on the Mepps Web site (www.mepps.com). There are sound files of the Aglia Long #00 (Ultra Lite), Aglia Long #2, Aglia #0, Aglia #3, Aglia #5 (Musky Killer), Comet Mino #3, Comet Mino #5, Giant Killer, Magnum Musky Killer, Mepps Marabou, Musky Marabou, Thunder Bug #2 and the XD#3, along with brief descriptions from the manufacturer about the rhythm of each. Mepps says of the recordings:

“Remember, what you are about to hear are the actual sounds produced by Mepps spinners as they are retrieved. These sounds have not been enhanced or altered in any way. We make no claim as to how fish interpret these sounds, but fish do hear them.”

Like the company, I’ve got no idea what these sounds mean to the fish—in fact, I’m surprised some of the sounds don’t scare them off—but I found the recordings interesting.