Monday, March 28, 2016

Colorado River Gold Medal Designation

A 24-mile stretch of the Colorado River, from the confluence with Canyon Creek, downstream to the confluence of Rock Creek, was recently designated as one of Colorado's Gold Medal state waters.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission accepted recommendations to assign Gold Medal status to the area during their March meeting.

In Colorado, Gold Medal status is reserved for state waters that produce a minimum of 60-pounds of trout per acre and 12 trout measuring 14-inches or longer per acre.

According to Aquatic Biologist Jon Ewert, the upgraded section of the Colorado River exceeds the minimum requirements for Gold Medal status.

"We studied this section of the Colorado River extensively over the past eight years," he said. "We found that it is an excellent fishery."

source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Monday, March 7, 2016

FishBoatPA Smartphone App

More than 33,500 users have downloaded the FishBoatPA mobile smartphone app, according to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

The FishBoatPA app is available for free on both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

The app shows anglers which waters have been stocked with trout, provides driving directions, and other information.

When the FishBoatPA app opens, one of the first item anglers see is an “Upcoming Trout Stocking” link, which updates in real-time.

Users can sort stocking schedules by county. The app is tied directly into the PFBC’s online stocking schedule, so anglers can see past and upcoming stockings and the type of trout placed in a water.

GIS coordinates allow users to use mapping apps installed on their phones to get directions to their favorite stocking site.

The “Near Me” feature uses a phone’s GIS coordinates to locate and display trout waters within 5, 15, 25 and 50 miles of the user.

Using the ‘My Trophies’ feature, anglers can post pictures to share with others by email, text message, or through social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

Another prominent feature on the app home page is the link “Get a license today.” This enables users to find an issuing agent near them and to see pricing options for licenses.

The app also links to a “Fish ID” guide with color pictures; a “Learn” section with links to helpful information like tying knots and learning how to properly handle fish; and to PFBC rules and regulations.

source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission