Whitewater's Prevail Pant has evolved from a 2024 breakout release into the definitive standard for serious anglers. Featuring high-recovery nylon/spandex stretch twill, side-seam vent zippers for thermal regulation, and UPF 50+ protection, the pant is now available in expanded Tall sizing at $109.99.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association announced nominations are being accepted for its Hall of Fame Award, recognizing individuals whose leadership and contributions have shaped the boating industry. The nomination deadline is May 14, with the award to be presented at the International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference in Tampa, Florida, October 6-8.

BoatUS celebrates its 60th anniversary with a giveaway of a Grady-White 21-foot Freedom 215 boat sponsored by GEICO, plus additional prizes including a $3,000 West Marine Gift Card and Star Clippers Cruise. Founded by Richard Schwartz in 1966, BoatUS has advocated for recreational boaters and operates TowBoatUS, the nation's largest on-water towing fleet.

Mag Bay Yachts' new 43 Center Console flagship, developed by Mike and Barrett Howarth, features a patented Cross-Step hull design and premium construction with fiberglass molded stringer grid system and vinylester construction. The boat offers flexible seating configurations and customizable amenities for offshore fishing, family cruising, or yacht tender use, with twin Mercury 600HP V12 outboards standard.

Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new 18,000-square-foot Industrial Design Studio in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The state-of-the-art facility will support product design and innovation while strengthening the local community through job growth and talent attraction, with completion expected by January 2027.

Z-Man Fishing Products and Evergreen International's ChatterBait JackHammer powered the top three finishers at the 2026 Major League Fishing REDCREST Championship on Table Rock Lake. Jacob Wheeler, Takahiro Omori, and Zack Birge all relied on the JackHammer, with ChatterBait bladed jigs accounting for over 25 top-10 finishes and $1.5 million in combined winnings in 2026.

Bass Pro Shops celebrates its third Arkansas location with a Grand Opening and Day of Conservation on April 29 in Fort Smith. The 70,000-square-foot Outpost will feature fishing legends Jimmy Houston and Roland Martin, a 19,000-gallon aquarium, and donate 15 percent of sales to local conservation organizations.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is hosting a free Family Fishing Day on May 9 at the Boone County Nature School in Columbia. All fishing equipment will be provided, and MDC staff will assist participants with casting, baiting, and fish handling. The event is designed for Columbia Public Schools students and families.

The International BoatBuilders' Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) will take place October 6-8, 2026, at the Tampa Convention Center, featuring over 730 exhibitors and 8,000 industry professionals. The event's theme, "Embrace Innovation, Master Momentum," will include refreshed programming developed with ABYC, NMEA, NMMA, and Professional BoatBuilder magazine.

Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour anglers Edwin Evers, Jake Lawrence, and Wesley Strader visited WOLF School fifth-graders during REDCREST week, engaging students in hands-on learning about conservation, tournament operations, and fishing careers through interactive activities like building a mock fishery and running a simulated tournament.

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, Daniel Hernandez Youth Foundation, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife will host a free youth fishing derby at MacArthur Park on May 2nd for children 15 and younger. The lake will be stocked with catfish, and all equipment and bait will be provided.

NOAA Fisheries is accepting public comments on Cultimar Technologies, Inc.'s application for an exempted fishing permit to collect 200 red snapper from federal waters off Florida for establishing a hatchery research facility in Puerto Rico. The project aims to create a genetically diverse broodstock population and support marine aquaculture research. Comments are accepted through May 21, 2026.

Alabama's Marine Resources Division announces the 2026 red snapper season will open May 22 and operate 7 days a week for private and state-licensed charter vessel anglers. NOAA Fisheries set Alabama's private angler quota at 664,552 pounds, with Commissioner Chris Blankenship noting the expanded schedule provides more flexibility for fishing trips.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Walleyes for Tomorrow continue a walleye reward tag study in the Bay of Green Bay and its tributaries. The DNR will tag up to 5,000 walleyes with yellow floy tags and 400 red reward tags worth $100 each across five spawning areas this spring to better understand exploitation rates.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invites the public to an informational meeting on Thursday, May 7, from 6-8 p.m. at Hazelton Town Hall to discuss Mille Lacs Lake fisheries management, including creel survey results, species population modeling, and regulation-setting processes.

ODFW verified an angler's report of illegally introduced common carp in Cooper Creek Reservoir near Sutherlin, Oregon, removing 14 adult carp. Umpqua Fish District Biologist Evan Leonetti warns the invasive species could threaten native fish populations and habitat in the North and mainstem Umpqua rivers.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public input on 41 preliminary fishing regulation proposals for 2027–2028 at a May 14 meeting in Kalispell. Thirteen proposals affect FWP Region 1's western fishing district, including changes to Flathead Lake limits and various river restrictions. Comments can be submitted online or by mail through May.

Steelhead rainbow trout have begun their upstream migration at Willoughby River in Orleans, Vermont, leaping up waterfalls in a spectacular display during mid-to-late April and early May. Jud Kratzer, fisheries biologist for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, emphasizes the importance of maintaining healthy waterways for this annual migration and the fishing opportunities it provides.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is launching "Cast for Cash: It Pays to Fish for Science," a pilot program paying recreational anglers up to $1,500 to record fishing trips using onboard cameras in the Tampa Bay region. The research will help scientists understand catch-and-release data and evaluate camera system accuracy for fisheries research.

Hunter Rohr, 15, caught a state record golden rainbow trout measuring 28.0 inches and weighing 11.84 pounds during West Virginia Division of Natural Resources' annual Gold Rush event at the Smoke Hole section of the South Branch of the Potomac River, breaking both length and weight records.

Wisconsin's 2026-2027 general inland fishing season opens statewide Saturday, May 2, offering anglers access to over 15,000 inland lakes and 42,000 miles of streams. Key regulation changes include the muskellunge season opening May 2 on all inland waters with no separate Northern Zone season, and a catch-and-release lake sturgeon season on select waters from June 6, 2026 through March 7, 2027.

Vermont's walleye fishing season opens May 2, offering excellent spring fishing in Lake Champlain, its tributaries, and other waters. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department stocks Salem Lake and Island Pond to support walleye populations in the Northeast Kingdom.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission stocks over 1 million catfish fry annually, with nearly 300,000 grown to catchable size at facilities including Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery, William H. Donham State Fish Hatchery, and C.B "Charlie" Craig State Hatchery. The agency's Family and Community Fishing Program and fishing derby program provide accessible fishing opportunities for families and first-time anglers throughout Arkansas.

Women participated in the Ladies, Let's Go Fishing South Florida University April 17-19 in Fort Lauderdale, learning offshore fishing skills from Capt. Lee Lavery, Capt. Jeanne Towne, and Betty Bauman. Participants practiced knot tying, rigging, casting, and trolling techniques during classroom sessions and an offshore fishing trip aboard the Big Game.

As Colorado lakes lose winter ice, spring turnover creates excellent trout fishing opportunities. CPW spring stocking and the new Quality Waters program provide abundant access to rainbow, cutthroat, and brown trout in shallow waters where anglers can use spinners like Panther Martins, spoons such as Kastmasters, and traditional baits.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife opens lowland lake fishing April 25, stocking nearly 15.5 million trout and kokanee across 500+ lakes. The annual Trout Derby returns for its 11th year with over 900 prizes valued at $45,000, featuring tagged trout in more than 100 lakes statewide.

California's 2026 statewide general trout season opened Saturday, April 25, with CDFW Senior Environmental Scientist Nick Buckmaster encouraging anglers of all ages to participate. Anglers must possess valid licenses and check specific regulations, with most waters allowing five trout daily and 10 possession limits. Regional exceptions include the South Fork American River and Lake Tahoe tributaries opening May 23.

The 2026 Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery opens May 1 through September 30, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration and managed by WDFW, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Anglers earn cash rewards for catching predatory northern pikeminnow in the Columbia and Snake rivers, helping reduce predation on salmon and steelhead by up to 40%.

DAIWA introduces the RYOGA 150, an upsized round baitcaster engineered for freshwater and saltwater applications. Featuring MAGFORCE-Z BOOST braking, HYPERDRIVE technology, and corrosion-resistant components, the reel combines classic round reel design with contemporary engineering for heavy-payload casting.

MidCurrent, a trusted fly fishing media company with 80,000 newsletter subscribers, seeks a detail-driven Editorial & Production Coordinator to manage weekly newsletters, monthly guides, email automation via Klaviyo, and event logistics for their MidCurrent Plus membership product.

Whitewater Fishing expands its Beacon Technical Hoodie lineup with two new heritage patterns: Vintage Duck Camo and Mossy Oak® Bottomland®. The mariner-grade hoodie features 4-way stretch fabric, UPF 50+ protection, and specialized design for water sports, merging advanced technical performance with timeless sportsman aesthetics.

Plano announces the launch of its GoNow storage system, featuring Small and Large Boxes with weather-resistant construction and modular accessories designed for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts. The system addresses gear organization barriers, with research showing 85% of outdoor enthusiasts say dedicated gear space helps them get outside faster.

The SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120 Glide Bait, crafted by KGB exclusively for SPRO, is designed for challenging fishing conditions with a compact, realistic profile and lifelike baitfish silhouette. Equipped with Gamakatsu Sticky Sharp treble hooks and weighing under 1 ounce, it delivers an enticing glide on standard bass gear without requiring specialized swimbait setups.

B.A.S.S. announced a partnership with Tedy's Team Foundation to promote Stroke Awareness Month in May, with Tedy's Team serving as title sponsor of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Murray (May 7-10). The initiative will include a 5K race and raffle, with proceeds benefiting stroke prevention efforts and education on BE FAST warning signs.

Wildlife Forever and Major League Fishing announced a partnership to expand the Getting Families Fishing and Boating Initiative. MLF anglers will receive product grants for fishing equipment and conservation education materials distributed through youth clinics and community events nationwide.

American Outdoor Brands, Inc. announced that Tyler Lindwall has joined the company as Vice President of Corporate Development. Lindwall brings over 15 years of experience in corporate development and mergers and acquisitions, most recently serving at Vista Outdoor Inc., and will lead the company's acquisition and integration efforts.

Johnson Outdoors announced significant savings on sonar and GPS systems through June 24, 2026, featuring XPLORE 9, 10, and 12 units plus MEGA Live 2 Imaging with instant discounts up to $300 USD available at humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com and participating retailers.

Millennium Marine is offering a 2026 "Reel in the Savings" Consumer Rebate Program providing $25 cash back on select products including monitor mounts and the TP-100 Transducer pole through December 31st, 2026.

Professional angler and Missile Baits founder John Crews is raising autism awareness this April by wearing signature autism-themed jerseys in competition and selling or auctioning them to benefit charities including Virginia Institute of Autism, Masterclass Alliance, Paws 4 Autism, and Doug Flutie, Jr Foundation for Autism.

Vermont fishing guide Luke Heald published commentary in VTDigger questioning the Agency of Natural Resources' proposed amendments to wakesurfing rules, which would reduce eligible inland lakes from 30 to 18 despite zero violations under the current most restrictive regulation in the nation.

Lake Lurleen State Park in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama officially reopened after a complete renovation funded by a 2022 bond issue. The $18 million project includes 67 upgraded RV campsites, new pavilions, bathhouses, playground areas, and significant water and sewer infrastructure improvements through a partnership with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

MyOutdoorTV and GAME & FISH TV present a live head-to-head fishing competition between renowned anglers Mark Zona and Kevin VanDam on April 28. The event marks the streamers' first live contest featuring the two Bass Fishing Hall of Fame members competing on familiar waters.

Pursuit Channel highlights world champion angler Scott Martin and his acclaimed series The Scott Martin Challenge, a reality-style fishing program featuring head-to-head competitions in exotic destinations. The show airs weekly on Pursuit Channel and streams on Pursuit UP across 120+ million users on multiple platforms.

Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division highlights the plight of two alligator snapping turtle species in Georgia. The Suwannee alligator snapper was federally listed as threatened in 2024, while the alligator snapping turtle also warrants listing. Both species face threats from fishing activities, including hook ingestion and monofilament entanglement.

The Florida fisheries and conservation community is mourning the passing of Ronald G. Taylor, a widely respected biologist whose 33-year career with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg helped define modern management of the state’s marine fisheries—most notably the iconic common snook.

Throughout his career, Taylor was recognized as one of the world’s leading authorities on snook biology and management. His work combined rigorous field science with a practical understanding of fisheries, producing research that directly informed regulations, stock assessments, and long-term conservation strategies.

Ron was a friend to recreational anglers throughout his career, authoring multiple studies aimed at improving populations of Florida’s favorite inshore species.

His early work included evaluations of shrimp trawl bycatch—which resulted in pushing shrimpers out of many Florida estuaries where they were killing countless baby gamefish-- assessments of the fish trap fishery in the Florida Keys, and life-history studies of red drum, black drum, spotted seatrout, and other marine favorites of sport fishing. Over time, his focus increasingly centered on common snook, a species of immense cultural and economic importance to Florida anglers.

For more than 20 years, Ron led Florida’s snook research program, overseeing exploitation studies, angler intercept surveys, telemetry projects, genetic analyses, and extensive fish collections.

He did an extended catch and release study as well, with recreational anglers (including me) providing snook for a large net-pen in Tampa Bay, where the fish were observed for extended periods after being caught on various baits and lures. The conclusion was that most fish, properly handled, survived catch and release.

His overall work provided the population-level data necessary to understand snook growth, mortality, movement, and spawning behavior—information that remains foundational to how the species is managed today.

Among his most influential scientific contributions was the discovery, made with collaborators, that common snook are protandric hermaphrodites, maturing first as males before transitioning to females later in life. That finding fundamentally altered scientific understanding of the species and played a central role in the development of modern stock assessment models and harvest regulations.

Ron also contributed to research documenting habitat use and migration patterns of snook, including their reliance on coastal rivers, estuaries, and near-shore reefs, as well as studies exploring spawning behavior, stock structure, and population connectivity between Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts—the fish on each coast are slightly different genetically. His work extended into fisheries-monitoring methods as well, including studies on angler tag-reporting behavior that improved data quality for recreational fisheries management.

Over the course of his career, Ron authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and technical reports. His expertise was widely sought, and colleagues frequently described him as the world authority on common snook.

In recognition of his national and international impact, Taylor received the American Fisheries Society’s William E. Ricker Resource Conservation Award in 2014, honoring his long-term contributions to aquatic resource conservation. Earlier, he was nominated for the Rich Cailteux Award in 2010 for outstanding service and achievement in fisheries science.

He was also much admired by his colleagues and supervisors at FWRI.

“Ron’s dedicated commitment to understanding the biology and ecology of Florida’s nearshore sport fish over a stellar career of more than 30 years directly contributed to the sustainable management of these stocks and resultant world class fisheries,” said Gil McRae, director of FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “He was recognized as the foremost expert on common snook and widely admired for his collaborative approach and straightforward communication style that will continue to serve as models of public service science for many years to come.”

Beyond his research, Ron was deeply committed to outreach and mentorship. He spent considerable time working with fishing guides, conservation organizations, outdoor writers, and the angling public, helping translate complex science into clear, practical information. His calm, patient explanations—in a Deep South drawl--earned trust across the fisheries community and helped build broad support for science-based management.

Ron was also a dedicated professional leader, serving as president of the Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society in 1992 and remaining an active member and mentor throughout his career. In 2008, he was honored by the Snook Foundation and the Florida Guides Association for his contributions to snook conservation.

Even late in his career, Taylor continued active research, investigating snook habitat use in southeast Florida’s coastal rivers and near-shore reef systems—work that reflected his belief that fisheries management must continually evolve with new information.

Ron Taylor’s legacy is measured not only in scientific papers and regulations, but in healthier fisheries, better-informed management, and generations of anglers who benefit from science done carefully, patiently, and with integrity. Florida’s marine resources are stronger because of his life’s work. He made a difference.

– Frank Sargeant
Frankmako1@gmail.com