Ocean Salmon Season OPENS SATURDAY!

Get your line replaced and sharpen those hooks! You can head out onto the ocean this Saturday! Recreational salmon fishing on the California coast will return to normal April 2 following a vote by the California Fish and Game Commission.The commission's unanimous vote permits recreational salmon fishing, starting April 2, in state waters roughly between Cape Mendocino and Point Sur. State waters extend out three miles from shore.

The vote took place as an emergency action in order to coincide with a similar move by the Pacific Fishery Management Council last week that affects federal waters. Had the commission waited until its next regular meeting on April 6, anglers would not have been able to catch salmon in state waters on opening weekend.

We've got new shipments of lures, line and sinkers - all the gear you need to be ready for the earliest opener for the past 4 seasons!

And if you hurry down to the shop, you may still be able to find some great trolling lures at half off - the last of the overstock gear from our Santa Rosa store! Get Ready for SALMON!

For more information -

Link to article in the Sacramento Bee -
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/15/3475574/salmon-fishing-on-coast-restored.html


The Pacific Fishery Management Council website currently seems to be the most up to date (CDFG site information was not updated as of this post).

http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/current-season-management/

OCEAN SALMON REGULATIONS HOTLINE (707) 576-3429
CDFG - Ocean Salmon Project
475 Aviation Blvd, Suite 130, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Early Quarantine of Sport-Harvested Mussels

CDFG Informational Notice - Early Quarantine of Sport-Harvested
Mussels Begins

Early Quarantine of Sport-Harvested Mussels Begins Today

Contact: Al Lundeen, Ronald Owens (916) 440-7259, California Department
of Public Health, Sacramento

Coming a month earlier than in normal years, the annual quarantine of
all mussel species publicly harvested along the California coast takes
effect today. The quarantine is beginning early this year because
testing by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) detected
elevated levels of domoic acid and paralytic shellfish poisoning.

³Poisoning from eating mussels can lead to severe illness, including
coma and death,² said CDPH Interim Director Dr. Howard Backer. ³It
is critical that individuals do not consume sport-harvested mussels
because there are no known antidotes to the toxins found in these
mussels and cooking does not reliably eliminate the toxins.²

Both domoic acid poisoning (DAP) and paralytic shellfish poisoning
(PSP) are linked to natural food sources for filter-feeding animals,
including bivalve shellfish. The overwhelming majority of illnesses
among humans occur between spring and fall. DAP symptoms can occur
within 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating toxic seafood. In mild cases,
vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache and dizziness may occur.
These symptoms disappear completely within several days. In severe
cases, the victim may experience excessive bronchial secretions,
difficulty breathing, confusion, disorientation, cardiovascular
instability, seizures, and permanent loss of short-term memory, coma and
death. PSP affects the central nervous system by producing a tingling
around the mouth and fingertips within a few minutes to a few hours
after eating toxic shellfish. Typical symptoms are loss of balance, lack
of muscular coordination, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing. In
severe poisonings, complete muscular paralysis and death from
asphyxiation can occur.

The mussel quarantine runs through October 31. It applies to
sport-harvested mussels along the coast, including all bays, harbors and
estuaries.

Commercially harvested shellfish are not included in the annual
quarantine. These products are certified by the state and subject to
strict requirements to ensure that all mussels, oysters and clams
entering the marketplace are free of toxins.

For updated information on quarantines and shellfish toxins, call the
CDPH shellfish information line at (800) 553-4133.

New Simms Vest

New Simms Vest, originally uploaded by Western Sport Shop.

--
sent from some phone

Turkey Seminar Tomorrow - 3/12/11

Another reminder to get down to the store by 10 am on Saturday for our FREE Turkey calling and techniques seminar this Saturday - Tony Giorgi will be on hand starting at 10 am, and will be available through 1 pm. Don't miss this informative (and FREE) event.

Representatives from the National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF) will also be on hand with membership information. This is a great opportunity to support the organization which supports turkey habitat and access.

For those of you who have not met Tony, he runs Bass 'n Boars, a guide service located in Sonoma county. He's been successfully hunting the wiley gobblers longer than he cares to remember.

So, head on down to the store and get ready for Spring Turkey Season!

Closed Monday, March 14 - Inventory

Just a quick announcement to let you know that we will be closed for inventory on Monday, March 14th.

Western Sport Shop will be open Sunday, 10-4 as usual and will open again from 10-6 on Tuesday, March 15th.

Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks for your patience!

Turkey Talk: Revised Times/Attendees

Quick update for those of you planning to attend our FREE Turkey calling and techniques seminar this Saturday - Tony Giorgi will be on hand starting at 10 am, and will be available through 1 pm.

Also, we've confirmed that representatives from the National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF) will be on hand with membership information. This is a great opportunity to support the organization which supports turkey habitat and access.

So - get up an hour earlier than we said - Turkey Seminar this Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm.

See you there!

Time to Talk Turkey!

Spring is working its way here, and for a rapidly increasing chunk of our customers, that means it's time to talk turkey!

First off - if you haven't done so, stop by Western Sport Shop for the last chance to get great deals on the camouflage clothing you'll need - all camo clothing is still (at least) 40% OFF!

Second - get your chores done today and mark your calendar! This coming Saturday, March 12, we will have turkey calling expert Tony Giorgi at our shop in San Rafael. He'll be on hand from 11 until 2 pm demonstrating calling, talking about strategies and techniques for hunting turkeys, and will be happy to answer your questions. Don't miss this informative (and FREE) event.

For those of you who have not met Tony, he runs Bass 'n Boars, a guide service located in Sonoma county. He's been successfully hunting the wiley gobblers longer than he cares to remember.
Your Upland Bird Stamp Money at work:
The California Department of Fish & Game has published this helpful guideline for turkey hunting. It was produced using funds generated through the sale of the California Up-
land Game Bird Stamp. The Upland Game Bird Stamp must be purchased by every adult
hunter who hunts wild turkey or any upland game bird in California. The funds generated
through the sale of the stamp are dedicated to improving the quality of hunting and to
preserving the heritage of hunting in California.

DFG Turkey Hunting Guide - click to download

Oh - last but not least - here are instructions on what to do if you take a banded turkey.

Tuna Time for Tankersly

We just love it when we hear stories from customers about great fishing trips!

But, we love it even more when good customers have their trips written up in the newspaper! After getting expertly outfitted by Western Sport Shop staff long-range specialist Richard Birnbaum, avid angler Robert Tankersley had one heck of a fishing trip!

Leaving through Fisherman's Landing in San Diego, Robert ended up with great fishing and landed a 178 pound tuna! Here's the full story (and the reel was taken care of under warranty - truly the first one of those we've seen fail!)

Battle with 178-pound tuna highlghts memorable trip to Clarion Island

For more information about long range trips and blue water fishing, please don't hesitate to drop by and speak with Richard or Ben in the tackle department.

Thoughts on Clothing Designs & Some Serious Bargains

There are a number of times over the years when I've looked down at what I'm wearing and realized how much nicer things are with well designed and produced clothing.

Earlier this year, when dropping and pulling crab pots on a glorious flat, calm Pacific Ocean, the spray and splash from the pots soaked most of the working area of the boat, and my Grundens bibs shook off the water like a seal. They are a simple piece of gear that do what they need too very well.

I've also ended up with a pretty good selection of Simms base layers, mid layers and outerwear over the years. One of the things that's always impressed me about them is that they combine good tech with design based on feedback from guides, dealers and anglers.

Just this week, our Simms rep passed through town with one of the product designers, who had been out a recent consumer show. We hadn't met before, but quickly got talking about what works and when the new spring stuff would be showing up. There's a lot to be excited about from them, as I was reminded this past week.

I've been fighting a sinus infection, and feeling kind of miserable. But, the dog still has to be walked, and when the rains started coming down a few 100 yards after the start, I threw the hood on my Simms jacket over my head, zipped up, and prepared to be reasonably uncomfortable for the next half hour. Turns out that I was needlessly pessimistic.

The newest jacket I have doesn't really look like rain gear in the strictest sense - it's a soft shell fabric that isn't bulky and moves easily with your body - stretching in the direction you need to move. As the rain intensified, all that happened is that the drops beaded up and fell off of the coating, while I felt warm and dry the whole time. The shape of the new hood was perfect - I didn't have to "turtle" my head out just to make sure no cars were coming at intersections. It just did it's job very well, without a lot of fanfare. And, it works out on the river, as well.

This Would Be Where the Bargains Begin
If you've been down to the shop this past week or so, you'll see we're still busily auditing and making sense of the extra stuff which came down from our Santa Rosa closing. (And you may have seen the 3 pallets and half dozen Browning Safes which showed up 3 weeks early - boy, when it rains it pours!) We've still got a bit of organization to go, but we've found some things which are hard to notice in the confusion, so I'm starting to list them here -

Simms Fleece Vests -
These are good mid layer insulating layers. I'd actually bought a bunch extra for the hunters as well, as these are a good, neutral brown color which won't spook game. Unfortunately, we didn't get them displayed in the hunting department, and no one seemed to notice them. They are a good quality, non-pilling fleece, but are not windproof (no fleece is unless you put a layer such as Gore Windstopper in it to do so). So, this is idea for calmer days, or for more warmth with a windshell or rain jacket. These were $49, but are now only $25.

Gamehide Sherpa Fleece Camo Vests -
These are ruggedly made, camouflage vests. They use a water repellent outer layer, have reinforcing on the shoulders and provide extra warmth with their buffed sherpa fleece insulation. Great for spring turkey season, where a little extra warmth is always appreciated. A couple of staff members feel they came in slightly undersized, so some hunters who are right on the edge of have ended up getting the next size up - trust what fits you, don't worry what the label says. These were $59, now only $30

Camouflage Waders -
It looks like there will be some minor changes to the boot styles of our neoprene and breathable camouflage waders for next fall - this means that everything we have left over needs to go away. Great waders, which work even if you don't need the camouflage. The breathable model has a waterproof front zipper which makes getting in and out super easy. Breathable $189, Neoprene $159 - both styles are now 40% OFF the original price.

Kent FASTEEL Steel Waterfowl Ammunition -
There's nothing wrong with this - I just need to reduce as much as possible before we store it for next season! Come down now for the best selection. Buy a case - take $20 OFF - you won't find a better price than this!