BASS FISHINGBass Fishing Sports Blog

Santa will make one final swoop through the Bay Area today, bringing gifts to some of the region’s tiniest, most helpless residents.

Volunteers plan to drop about 1,000 leftover Christmas trees into a lake in Fremont to create a habitat for baby fish, who have been struggling for years in Bay Area reservoirs.

“We’re jump-starting the ecosystem,” said Jon Walton, owner of Walton’s Pond fishing tackle shop in San Leandro, one of the event’s sponsors. “This helps the entire food chain, from microorganisms to the great blue heron.”

The project is led by the East Bay Regional Park District, which has been collecting Christmas trees every January for about 20 years to give to the fish. Volunteers tie the trees together with rope and drop them to the lakebed.

The trees provide two services: a place for juvenile bass, sunfish, bluefin and other fish to hide from predators and a food source for a variety of critters that live in and around the lakes. Algae grows on the tree limbs, bugs live in the algae, fish of all sizes eat the bugs, and birds eat the fish.

The program has had a huge impact on the East Bay’s reservoirs, said the park district’s fisheries manager, Pete Alexander. Most of the reservoirs are man-made and have fluctuating water levels, making underwater plant life almost nonexistent. Lack of underwater vegetation leads to a dearth of bugs and habitat for smaller fish.

The district continually stocks the lakes, but ideally would like more fish to reproduce and sustain their populations naturally.

Christmas trees are a key part of that process, he said.

“We’re essentially taking a two-dimensional habitat and making it three-dimensional,” Alexander said.

In the lakes where the district has already dropped Christmas trees – Del Valle, Chabot and the Quarry lakes – biological diversity has increased dramatically, he said. Del Valle, for example, in Livermore, now has a plethora of osprey, herons, kingfishers and river otters, due in part to a healthy fish population. There are even some bald eagles.

The Christmas tree idea originated with the California Department of Fish and Game at least 20 years ago, and has been successful at reservoirs throughout the state, said Dave Highland, Fish and Game fish habitat specialist.

“With a lot of these man-made lakes, you’re left with lakebeds that look like the surface of the moon,” said Highland. “So people started at looking at ways to create habitat so fish could make it to adulthood.”

Today, Rainbow Lake in Fremont will be the Christmas tree beneficiary. because the lake level is low, volunteers will drag the trees to the exposed lake bed. when the rains come, the trees will become submerged.

The trees are donated by Christmas tree vendors. The district can’t use trees donated by the public because they often contain stray bits of tinsel, flocking or chemicals added to keep the trees green.

Douglas firs make the best fish habitat because they’re the bushiest, Alexander said. The trees generally last five years underwater before they disintegrate, and the park district drops in another batch.

Fishermen have seen a noticeable difference in the Christmas tree-laden lakes.

The fish are larger, healthier and more plentiful, Walton said.

That’s why he, his staff and customers are regular volunteers at the annual Christmas tree drop.

“We noticed over the years that the juvenile fish weren’t surviving because they’re prey – they had nowhere to hide,” he said. “So we thought we’d better start putting some habitat back in the lakes. It’s a chance for us to give something back to the fisheries.”

This article appeared on page C – 2 of the San Francisco Chronicle

How much of the world’s food supply is locked up in a few crops – corn, wheat, rice (for example) – and even fewer livestock – cows, pigs, chickens? Of the major commercial food production industries, only fish, and even then, only some fish, are still hunted. in a very real sense, fish are the last wild food. That may be changing. in Four Fish: the Future of the Last Wild Food, published last year, Paul Greenberg highlights the ways in which commercial fishing is becoming less like hunting and more like agriculture, with a few, often farm raised species, dominating the market.

Greenberg, a native of Long Island Sound who fished there since the 1970′s, documents the changes in four major fisheries – salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna – and the changing attitudes of the (mostly) men who catch them. He travels to Alaska to meet with first Nation salmon fishermen, to Greece to visit groundbreaking aquaculture facilities, he charters a tuna boat to experience the fight first hand, and across the world he talks to those of whom fishing matters most, including himself. at times, the book becomes autobiographical, focusing on Greenberg’s personal journey – but this is a book about fish and fishermen, and he is, if only recreationally, a fisher.

Four Fish is divided into four sections, one for each fish, and while Sea Bass and Tuna were fascinating, entertaining, and brought some new insight into these oft-discussed fisheries, I found the other two sections lacking. Salmon overlooked many critical aspects of the wild-versus-farmed dynamic and ignored the roll of disease epidemics (like Infectious Salmon Anemia) in the farmed salmon industry. Cod was essentially an extended summary of Kurlansky’s eponymous opus – a much more exhaustive document. for someone new to these topics, all four sections provided an adequate and engaging overview of the fisheries.

Greenberg is an aquaculture-phile. his focus throughout in on how we can tame our last wild food – identifying the key elements of a maritime livestock and breeding the perfect captive fish. Aquaculture may be a solution for food security, but it is not the solution to ocean conservation. While he is upfront about the fact that there are some fish we just shouldn’t eat, his optimism about aquaculture blinds him to to some of the major problems with the industry in its current form. He also fails to examine any of the non-vertebrate aquaculture operations - shimp, clams, oysters, lobster, among others – which contradict his hypothesis that we increasingly rely on four essential seafoods and which fit more closely his model of an ideal farmed “fish”.

The book has shortcomings, but overall it provides a strong historical framework for the modern state of these four fish, is honest to the fishermen, and is thoroughly entertaining. Readers should approach four Fish with a critical (though not cynical) eye towards aquaculture, and remember that the story for each fish runs much deeper than a few hundred pages can accommodate. There is a place for aquaculture in marine conservation, and there is a place for sustainable, wild-caught fisheries, but there is definitely no place for for simple, one-size-fits-all solutions.

Bass fishermen are experiencing the typical winter pattern during which fish are tightly schooled and very lethargic. the excellent news is there is very little fishing pressure and most of the fishermen have huge sections of the lake to themselves.

The more successful fishermen are either drifting live jumbo minnows or casting swimbaits rigged on the latest fad, the Alabama Rig. a few fishermen are having success using live nightcrawlers. they are rigging them the same as a plastic worm using a 1/0 large gap hook and rigging them weedless. a 1/8-ounce worm weight is attached about six inches up the line from the bait and the entire rig is retrieved super slow. in fact, some of the fishermen are just allowing the worm to sit on he bottom. actually, nightcrawlers have been an excellent winter bait for bass for many years. Jigs are also an excellent lure in cold water but have to be retrieved very slowly.

The water temperatures have been as low as 41 degrees in the morning and only rising to 48 degrees by late afternoon. Patience is the key to success during these cold winter months. the one thing all the fishermen agree on is that you have to keep on the move until you locate fish.

The cold weather has slowed the catfish action as well. There is an occasional catfish being caught by guides using live jumbo minnows. the action should improve as we go into the late winter months. There is no crappie action whatsoever. There were plenty of juvenile crappie seen in the shallow water last fall and most of the those should survive the winter. by next summer many of the them will be large enough to keep.

Upper Blue Lake hasn’t been stocked with trout for a couple of weeks and the fishing has slowed to a standstill. actually, the cold weather has kept the fishermen off this lake. a few trout are being caught by trollers who are using a Needlefish and trolling near the Narrows. the bank action has been nil. the lake should be stocked again right after new Year’s Day. Bass fishing has been fair for fishermen drop-shotting a plastic worm close to shore.

Last-minute Christmas shoppers should consider buying the hottest rig on the lake this year. It’s the Alabama Rig and it’s available at all the local tackle shops. the cost ranges from a low of $15 to $25 and they make fantastic stocking stuffers. I guarantee that all the bass fishermen will have at least a couple of them in their tackle boxes by next spring. Since most fishermen attach a swimbait to the Alabama Rig they would also make a fantastic gift. two of most well loved swimbaits are the Trash Fish, which sells for $15 for two, and BassTrix, which costs $10 for a pack of five.

Starting on new Year’s Day all boats will be required to have the 2012 quagga mussel sticker. All the local tackle shops have the 2012 stickers in stock. Lake County resident boaters need only bring in proof that their boat is registered in Lake County. the fee for the sticker is $10 and is excellent for the entire year.

The Christmas holidays always draw a few sightseers to the Mendocino National Forest. Whereas the forest is a gorgeous place it can be dangerous during the winter months. a few weeks ago a hiker got lost before being rescued near Elk Mountain. Don’t go up in the mountains without leaving a detailed plot on where you are going and when you plot on returning. Leave the information with a close friend or relative. Also carry some food and plenty of warm clothing. It’s simple to get stuck on the remote backroads and if no one knows where you are it can be fatal. Every winter people have to be rescued from the mountains.

After intense surveillance of a San Jose couple, state Fish and Game wardens arrested them on charges of illegally poaching sturgeon and Dungeness crabs, and then selling the seafood to passers-by at strip malls, an official said.

Fish and Game Warden Patrick Foy said undercover wardens arrested Tam Van Tran, 62, and his wife, Lanh Thi Nguyen Tran, 59, after serving a search warrant at their home Friday morning.

Foy said the couple were spotted fishing at all hours of the day for more than a year.

“They didn’t appear to have any other job,” Foy said, “so they were on our radar.”

He said they fished all over the San Francisco Bay and beyond.

For the past seven weeks, Foy said undercover wardens watched them and photographed them “routinely” taking fish, including sturgeon, and crab using only a recreational fishing license, then “illegally selling their catch on the black market.”

A commercial fishing license is required for people to sell fish for money, Foy said. neither Tran has one.

Foy said the wardens observed the couple driving to strip malls and various business locations, stopping people to see if they wanted to buy crabs, sturgeon and striped bass.

He said wardens watched 14 transactions take place.

Foy said the Trans are repeat sturgeon poaching offenders.

Both face felony conspiracy charges and multiple poaching-related charges.

Fishing illegally can harm the ecosystem, said Fish and Game Capt. Bob Farrell.

“Commercial sale of sport-caught fish and crabs can significantly affect the population of these species as a whole, especially with sensitive species such as sturgeon,” he said in a statement. “It ultimately harms the honest anglers who follow the laws, and impacts the very species the regulations were established to protect.”

Contact Lisa Fernandez at 408-920-5002. Follow her at Twitter.com/ljfernandez.

—

In addition to a large trophy, the two brothers earned the chance to go fishing with Bobby Lane after the weigh-in at Camp Mack.

The tournament featured 36 high school students in the Student Angler Federation from Bartow, Kathleen, Tenoroc, Plant City and Durant high schools, as well as Spirit Christian Academy.

Lane, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Lakeland, conducted the weigh-in like an Elite Series tournament. Lane’s young children tossed hats, shirts and other gear into the crowd.

Jay Malys also netted the biggest bass at 4 1/2 pounds. His prize? The tournament jersey Lane was wearing.

Matt Bedenbaugh and Luke Ferguson took second with 12.90 pounds, excellent for a few hours on the water with bass pro Arnie Lane, Bobby’s older brother.

CJ Wright and Gabe Gelb finished third with 12.55 pounds, followed by Michael Boswell and Dustin Bozeman with 11.85 pounds. Cody Glowner and Austin Anderson had 9.60 pounds for fifth.

HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS FACE OFF ON CHAIN

The Plant City High School Bassmasters and the Bartow High School Yellow Jackets Fishing Team will compete against each other on the south Winter Haven chain out of Lake Summit on Saturday.

There will be four teams from each high school.

Mary Hamilton, director of the Plant City team, said this is the first time in the nation that two high school teams have competed against each other in a challenge format.

The second Florida State Student Angler Federation Tournament is March 3 on the Kissimmee Chain out of Camp Mack with high schools teams from around the state.

STONE’S OPEN AS USUAL

There seems to have been isolated rumors going around that Stone’s Outhouse was going to close.

But the tackle shop owner, Brent Howlett, was quick to say that is not true.

The well loved tackle shop on Edgewood Drive in Lakeland remains open for business, and Christmas gift sales were going strong Monday and Tuesday.

Most fishermen are taking a break for the holidays.

Leo Cosce at Camp Lester on Lake Kissimmee said one boat launched on Tuesday and again on Wednesday.

But those who are getting on the water are finding excellent numbers of speckled perch on Polk County lakes and the Kissimmee Chain.

Average size is the best it has been this fall, with more slab-sized specks 14-18 inches last week than any week so far, with lakes Kissimmee, Hatchineha and Bent leading the way.

But specks are active at most of the usual hot spots. you might not catch a limit, but chances are excellent that you’ll get more than enough to fillet for the fish fryer.

And while things are pretty quiet at area boat ramps, huge-bass season is just around the corner.

There was a 10-pound, 15-ounce lunker Saturday on Lake Kissimmee in the Gambler Go Fish! Tournament, the first double-digit bass reported in a while.

Bass start bedding during December some years depending on the water temperature, and the first major spawn can come on the full moon in January.

The water temperature is in the mid-60s right now on Central Florida lakes, which is the ideal temperature for bass to think about moving shallow.

The next Chain O’ Lakes Bait and Tackle Speck Tournament is Saturday, Jan. 14, on the Kissimmee Chain out of Port Hatchineha.

The entry fee is $20 per person, which can include four anglers. The total weight of 10 specks determines the winner. There is an optional $5 charge for the huge-fish pot.

It took 9 pounds, 6 ounces to win Saturday’s tournament, with the largest speck 1 pound, 7 ounces.

The January tournament should see heavier specks.

Tournaments start at 5:30 a.m. and end at noon.

For information, call Gary or Travis at Chain O’ Lakes Bait and Tackle in Dundee at 863-439-3885.

Monte Goodman and Eric Conant took top honors in the Sunday Open Series mini-classic Sunday on the north Winter Haven chain with 17 pounds, 13 ounces. Howard and Troy Tucker placed second with 14 pounds, while Billy and Mike Bechard had 5 pounds, 7 ounces for third.

Eric Conant and Monte Goodman also won the Sunday Open Series tournament on Eagle Lake Dec. 4 with 8 pounds, 3 ounces and a 3-pound, 14-ouncer for the largest bass. Ismael Garcia Sr. and Buddy Pemberman finished second with 7 pounds, 5 ounces. bill Guerard and Bobby Castilleja took third with 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

Joe Markovitz won the Polk County Bass and Snook Club’s season-ending classic on the Kissimmee Chain Dec. 3 with 11.70 pounds.

Ed Dziadon and John Woloszyn won the Fishing Misfits tournament on Lake Wailes Lake Saturday with 11 pounds, including a 3 1/4-pounder. Tony and Troy Fisher placed second with 8 pounds, 3 ounces, followed by Richard Uber and Shawn Summerall with 7 pounds, 3 ounces.

Alan Cameron and Matt Tyler won the Dixie Country Bass Club Classic on Lake Istokpoga Nov. 19-20 with 39.23 pounds. Dennis and Alton Brewer finished second with 28.83 pounds, while third went to Robert Avery and Roger Givens with 26.03 pounds. Mike and mark Tyler had 23.60 pounds for fourth.

[ Del Milligan's freshwater fishing column appears Thursdays in The Ledger. he can be reached at del.milligan@theledger.com or 863-802-7555. Milligan's blog, Central Florida Fishology, can be found at theledger.com home page. ]

WHILE recreational crabbers pull up pots full of limits and while the commercial fleet bickers with buyers over the wholesale price, the Department of Fish and Game stunned anglers and scientists alike with a formal recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission on Nov. 4. The group raised the daily bag limit for striped bass from two to six fish, the possession limit raised from two to 12 and the size limit reduced from 18 inches to 12.

The fish is not native to the state and although they coexisted for 100 years with Sacramento River Chinook salmon, each species at high abundance, before they and other species started simultaneously dwindling several decades ago, groups of Southern California farmers and water users are claiming that stripers have played a significant role in the decline of the salmon.

Now the DFG has joined in the chorus against the bass.

But fishermen and scientists critical of the department’s proposal say the striped bass is only the wrongful victim in a scapegoating scheme crafted to get the water pumps in the delta off the hook for causing the deterioration of the delta ecosystem.

The force behind the story is the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, a euphemistically named group supported by agricultural users of the delta’s water. The coalition sued the DFG in 2008 for sustainably managing the striped bass even though it was, as the collation argued, contributing to the disappearance of the Sacramento’s salmon, which hit their all-time low of 39,000 spawning fish in the fall of 2009. after fighting in court for three years against the coalition, the DFG threw in the towel in March and agreed to a settlement that required the DFG to propose a change to the fishing regulations on striped bass for the purpose of culling the species.

On Nov. 8, DFG representatives faced at least 300 mad anglers at a public meeting in Rio Vista. among those attending was Jim Cox, captain of the Loch Lomond-based party boat Touch of Gray. Cox believes the department’s biologists, who tried to clarify the proposal using years of various data, are simply answering to legal and political pressures.

“It would be one thing if Fish and Game had been saying for five or six years that they think stripers are hurting salmon numbers, but they turned around in the last few months and said this,” said Cox, who is the president of the West Delta chapter of the California Striped Bass Association.

Keith Fraser, owner of Loch Lomond Bait Shop, sent a letter to the DFG on Nov. 5 in which he wrote that he has never seen a baby salmon in the belly of a striped bass in 41 years.

Biologist Chuck Hanson, though, says that striped bass predation on salmon is “not trivial.” Hanson, an environmental consultant in Walnut Creek currently working for the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, says baby salmon found inside dissected striped bass indicate that “predation is a contributing factor” to the decline in salmon numbers over the years.

“But we don’t know how huge a contributor,” Hanson said.

Another fisheries biologist, professor Peter Moyle of UC Davis, believes differently than Hanson. he says the striped bass population plays no relevant role in salmon abundance and, like so many others, feels stripers are being framed in a nasty political ploy.

The state’s plan to reduce striper numbers might even be illegal — a violation of the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act, which required resource managers to increase numbers of delta fishes, including striped bass and Chinook salmon.

The matter now goes to the Fish and Game Commission, which will address it at a February public meeting in San Diego. If you can’t attend, send a written, signed letter to California Fish and Game Commission, P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090. or email gov.

Alastair Bland is a Bay Area fisherman. Send him stories, photos or video to allybland@yahoo.com or call the IJ sports desk at 382-7206. Check out his blog at blogs.marinij.com/fishing_in_marin/

I suppose the older you are the quicker time goes by, or at least that is the way it seems to me. But you know I have loved every minute I have spent in God’s Kingdom and look forward to a few more years of using his lakes, rivers and streams to practice the art of fishing.

I say practice because that is what I am doing as I learn something new on each fishing trip and try to expand on my quality of fishing.

With family and friends through the years I have spent many hours fishing in many areas of this fantastic country of ours. Fishing for trout in the Fantastic Smoky Mountains, fishing for reds in the Gulf, fishing for bass in the reservoirs which surround San Diego, California. But you know not any of these places were more exciting than fishing with my dad on the Waccamaw River in Conway, South Carolina, or fishing with my grandad on Dead Lakes in Florida, or fishing with my mom on the shores of Lake Howard and Martha right here in Winter Haven.

Fishing with my daughter, Cindy and my son Joe in the phosphate pits were fantastic times to bond together with my children, while catching a few bass to boot. My wife even tried her hand at fishing a couple times but she found it was more fun for her to let me do the fishing and for her to sunbathe as we traveled through the lakes together.

There were many fun times I experienced while fishing with John Jennings in the phosphate pits near Bartow. We would head to the pits every Tuesday afternoon in the ’70s and always caught fish. One of the trips was not as funny as we slid down one of the dikes sideways but you know that old truck never turned over and we continued looking for our next fishing site.

Speck fishing in the chain

On Monday we talked to a couple of people, Ron Whitiker and Ross Martin who were fishing off the dock across from the Women’s Clubhouse and Museum for speckled perch. they both were using minnows, Ron had caught seven and Ross caught 10. As we drove off we saw Ron pull in another speck. Also being caught from this dock is bream on crickets and on occasion a bass or two on plastic worms.

Another excellent spot for anglers who want to fish off the bank is the canal between Lake May and Shipp as reports coming into us this week say specks are hitting in the canal and under the railroad bridge. Most are being caught on live minnows with some anglers using Hal Flies catching a few. try your luck at the spot in the early morning or late afternoon. use an 8-inch Junebug colored plastic worm and you should catch a few bass in this location.

Most other lakes are producing catches of specks such as Cannon, Hartridge, Winterset, Eloise and Jessie. Bass are hitting early in the morning while fishing with large shiners in Summit, Eloise, Howard and Winterset. many anglers are catching some nice bass on 8-inch Junebug colored plastic worms in the same lakes.

Many anglers overlook one of the better bass lakes on the chain and that is Lake Roy.

Lake Kissimmee is giving up excellent catches of speckled perch while fishing the Brahma Island area of the lake. Best bet is live minnows.

Bass fishing has also been excellent these past few days with a couple of 8-pound bass being caught in the Philadelphia Point of the lake.

Anglers are still catching some nice bluegills on crickets.

Anglers fishing Lake Juliana in Auburndale have been catching bass in the 2- to 5-pound class in the morning hours while casting 8-inch Junebug plastic worms. Plenty of action on speckled perch while using live minnows. Catfish are still hitting cut up wieners while fishing on the bottom.

Glide fishing report

There has been a steady topwater bite after 9 a.m. until early afternoon in small lakes in the area. Panfish and bass were taking foam sprogs and boogle bug poppers in yellow and black.

Let the popper sit for 10-15 seconds before giving it a twitch.

Keep those lines tight and we will see you on the pond this week. Be sure to take a youth with you on your next outdoor trip.

Contact Bill Chestnut at or via phone at 863-299-1331.

Fishing: Jersey break on offer in Helston angling competition

2:40pm Thursday 17th November 2011

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A three-night hotel break for two in Jersey plus return car ferry awaits the winner of this year’s Helston and District Sea Angling Club’s Open shore fishing competition. Valued at over £450 this huge prize tops off a list that includes cash prizes of £200 and £100 plus table prizes to ninth place.

the competition will take place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th November with the “weigh-in” from 7pm to 8pm on the Sunday at the Harbour Inn, Porthleven. Entry costs £5.00 for adults and £2.50 for juniors. Anglers can sign on between 1200 and 1700 on Saturday 26th at tackle shops throughout west Cornwall. Competitors may fish from the shore anywhere within the county of Cornwall.

Club President Brian Buxton said “with such a fantastic range of top prizes on offer it has got to be worth digging out your rods and giving it a go, all you need is one good fish to win it.”

the spectacular first prize has been organised through Jersey Tourism and is supported by Condor Ferries. the winning angler plus companion will travel with their vehicle on Condor Ferries’ high speed service from Weymouth or Poole and will arrive in Jersey in just over three hours to take part in Jersey’s Annual Bass Fishing Festival in October 2011. During their three night stay in St Helier they will be provided with a comfortable hotel (including dinner and breakfast) from which to explore the superb bass fishing for which the Island is renowned.

Jersey’s annual bass festival has grown into a major event with anglers travelling from far and wide to take part . Double figure bass are always on the cards and the event is fished in great spirits with a warm welcome for visiting anglers.

Mike Tait of Jersey Tourism said “the winner of this prize will be over the moon when they realise what a great fishing destination Jersey is…this is a prize that should make their mates seriously envious.”

Last year’s holiday winner mark Willey travelled to Jersey with his son Peran. “We had a brilliant time, were well looked after and fully loved the whole experience. I will be trying to win it again this year.”

For more information and interviews contact Chris Newton 0753 6067074 or 01326 290531.

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This week’s sprucing up of the EU PlayStation Store heralds PS one Imports from Japan, while everybody gets a huge discount for Borderlands GotY.Ape Escape, Crysis, Homefront, de Blob 2, Saints Row 2 and more all join PSN digitally. There’s a free F-15C Death Rider for Ace Combat Assault Horizon.Shift 2 Unleashed, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 Masters Edition, Sega Bass Fishing GO Edition and Space Channel 5 – part 2 also become digital PSN titles. See below for this week’s EU PlayStation Store update courtesy of the .PS3 Borderlands – Game Of The Year edition (Was £27.99/€34.99 – Now £11.99/€14.99)This including the following content: Borderlands (The full game) The Zombie Island of Doctor Ned (DLC pack) Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot (DLC pack) The Secret Armory of General Knoxx (DLC pack) Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution (DLC pack) Offer ends on 12th October 2011 PlayStation Network new contentTrial & Unlock (PS3) Eufloria (£7.99/€9.99) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: not available in Portugal, Russian Federation and Ukraine NBA Jam: On fire Edition (£9.99/€12.99) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: not available in Croatia, France or India full Games (PS3) Ape Escape (£19.99/€24.99) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: all Locales Crysis (£15.99/€19.99) Rating: PEGI 16 Availability: all Locales de Blob 2 (£19.99/€24.99) Rating: PEGI 7 Availability: all Locales Homefront (£27.99/€34.99) Rating: PEGI 18 Availability: not available in Australia, 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Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: all locales Gex 3D: Enter The Gecko (£4.79/€5.99)Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: not available in Saudi Arabia Add-On Game Content (PS3) Ace Combat Assault Horizon – F-15C Death Rider (free) Rating: PEGI 16 Availability: all Locals Agarest: Generations Of War Zero Subordinate’s Present Pack (free) Extra Dungeon 2 (free) Extra Dungeon 1 (free) Dream Oracle Pack (free) Point Addition Pack 1 (free) Point Addition Pack 2 (free) Fallen Angel Pack (free) Healing Hand Pack (free) Healing and Defence Pack (free) Legendary Goods Pack (free) Logistic Support Pack 1 (free) Rear-Echelon Support Pack 1 (free) Noble Person Pack (free) Shrivelled Chicken Pack (free) Impregnable Defences Pack 1 (free) Status Boost Pack (free) Status Boost Pack 2 (free) Zero Starter Pack (free) Impregnable Defences Pack 2 (free) Rating: PEGI 16 Availability: not available in Australia or New Zealand Atelier Totori Atelier Totori: Additional Party: Ceci (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Additional Party: Iksel & Cordelia (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Bgm Mode (free) Atelier Totori: Bgm Pack: Atelier Pack (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Bgm Pack: Battle Pack #1 (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Bgm Pack: Battle Pack #2 (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Bgm Pack: Battle Pack #3 (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Bgm Pack: Battle Pack #4 (£2.39/€2.99) Atelier Totori: Model View Mode (free) Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: not available in Belgium or Netherlands Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer – Music Pack 3: Sound Director’s selection (£0.95/€1.19) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: all Locales Dead Rising 2: Off the Record – Free Support Pack (free) Rating: PEGI 18 Availability: not Available in Germany Elemental Monster – Booster Box -The Legend Starts (£4.79/€5.99) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: not available in Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation and Ukraine Eyepet – Lucky Dip Rain 2 (free) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: all Locales Magic: The Gathering – Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 Auramancer Deck Unlock (£0.79/€0.99) Cloudburst Deck Unlock (£0.79/€0.99) Grave Whispers Deck Unlock (£0.79/€0.99) Foil Auramancer Deck (£0.79/€0.99) Foil Cloudburst Deck (£0.79/€0.99) Foil Grave Whispers Deck (£0.79/€0.99) Rating: PEGI 7 Availability: all Locales ModNation Racers – Oil Stain Mod & Kart (£1.39/€1.79) Rating: PEGI 7 Availability: all Locales NBA Jam: On fire Edition – Time Is Money Pack (£2.39/€2.99) Rating: PEGI 3 Availability: not available in Croatia, France and India Portal 2 – Peer Review (free)Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: all Locales Rock Band Network Bagatelle no. 25 – Für Elise (Beethoven) – Thomas Walker (£0.59/€0.79) Farewell, Mona Lisa – The Dillinger Escape (£0.99/€1.49) Glow – Alien Ant Farm (£0.99/€1.49) Heroes Don’t Weep – Free Spirit (£0.99/€1.49)Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE Rock Band 3 Limp Bizkit Pack 01 (£3.49/€5.29) (contains the following songs also available separately) Gold Cobra – Limp Bizkit (£0.99/€1.49) my Way – Limp Bizkit (£0.99/€1.49) Nookie – Limp Bizkit (£0.99/€1.49) Re-Arranged – Limp Bizkit (£0.99/€1.49) Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: not Available in Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Israel, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE Spiderman: Edge of Time – Identity Crisis Costume Pack (free)Rating: PEGI 12 Availability: not available in Kuwait, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and UAE Themes (PS3)Abstract Flying Tiger Themes – Tokyo Shrine (£1.19/€1.49) Dynamic Themes (PS3)Abstract 3D Circuits Theme 2 (£1.59/€1.99) Bridge at Night Theme (£1.59/€1.99) Colored Ink (£1.59/€1.99) Iron Shield Theme (£1.59/€1.99) Lynx Excite Theme (free) Ying Temple Theme (£1.59/€1.99) Nature Silent Lake Theme (£1.59/€1.99) Sunrise Theme (£1.59/€1.99) Seasonal A Murder Of Crows (£1.59/€1.99) Wallpapers (PS3) at The Ready Wallpaper (free) The Baconing Wallpaper (free) Videos (PS3) Access Episode 003 Aliens Colonial Marines Gameplay Trailer El Shaddai Trailer Fifa 12 Gc Trailer PAYDAY The Heist: Green Bridge Trailer Rubgy Wc 2011 Launch Trailer The Sims 3 Pets Trailer 1 Yakuza: Dead Souls Confirmed

All area codes are 850 unless specified.

Fall Hunting Classics

Bass Pro Shops will hold its annual Fall Hunting Classics through Aug. 21 at 4301 Legendary Drive in Destin. all events are free. for complete listing of events and sweepstakes, visit basspro.com/classic.

Florida Trail Association

• Aug. 21: Hike, swim and lunch at 8 a.m. at Juniper Creek in Santa Rosa County. Call 982-4544.

• Aug. 23: Monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at Ed’s Hometown Seafood & Steaks in Niceville. Visitors welcome.  Call 654-1172. 

• Aug 27-28: Bring your canoe or kayak for a paddle/overnight camping trip on Blackwater River near Baker.  Call 736-7534.

• Sept. 2: An simple hike in Pensacola at 6 p.m. with dinner following.  Call 484-0528. 

• Sept. 4: Wake up hike in Milton at 7 a.m. followed by breakfast.  Call 776-5147 or 434-8861.

• Sept. 4: Volunteers needed for trail maintenance on Eglin near Navarre at 8:30 a.m.  Eglin permit required.  Call 736-753. 

• Sept. 10: Volunteers needed for trail maintenance on Eglin near Crestview at 8 a.m. Eglin permit required.  Call 492-8258.

• Sept. 11:  Hike in Blackwater River State Forest at 8:30 a.m.  Call 484-0528.

• Sept. 17:  Bring your canoe or kayak for a paddle down upper Yellow River near Florala, Ala., at 9:30 a.m. Call 682-6098.

• Sept. 18:  Wake up hike in Milton at 7 a.m. followed by breakfast. Call 776-5147.

• Sept. 18: Volunteers needed by the Florida Trail Association for trail maintenance near Gulf Breeze at 8:30 a.m. Call 736-7534.

• Sept. 24: Volunteers needed for trail maintenance near Harold, Fla., at 8 a.m. Call 474-5359.

• Sept. 24:  A seven-mile hike on the Juniper Creek Trail in Santa Rosa County at 8:30 a.m. Call 723-5112.

• Sept. 25:  Wake up hike in Pensacola at 7 a.m. followed by breakfast. Call 776-5147 or 850-434-8861.

• Sept. 25:  Bring canoe or kayak for a paddle down Coldwater Creek near Milton at 8:30 a.m.  Rentals available.  Call 484-9111. 

• Sept. 27: Monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at Ed’s Hometown Seafood & Steaks in Niceville. Visitors welcome.  Call 654-1172.

Women’s Hall of Fame

The Okaloosa County Commission on the Status of Women will hold the 2011 Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and reception at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at NWFSC Niceville Campus, Tyler Recital Hall, Bldg. J with the reception to follow in the Orchestra Room. The ceremony is open to the public. Those wishing to attend should call 850-729-5202.

Bridgeway Senior Program will deliver the following meals the week of Aug. 22-26:

• Monday: Chicken and sausage jambalaya

• Tuesday: BBQ pork sandwichs

• Wednesday: Hamburgers

• Thursday: Fiesta chicken

• Friday: Swiss steak

Shelter House will hold YES, Youth Economic Strategies, workshops will be from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, Aug. 23 through Sept. 8, at the Destin Library. The youth track will help prevent financial abuse from occurring by teaching teens the importance of earning, managing, budgeting and saving money.

Women and Cars will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Shelter House Administration Office. to register for these and other workshops, visit ShelterHouseNWFL.org.

A workshop to help students in Okaloosa County High Schools who will take the Sept. 10 ACT and the Oct. 1 SAT will be held from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. Sept. 6-8 and 12-14 at Fort Walton Beach High School. all materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students need to bring calculators. Registration deadline is Aug. 24. for information, contact Alice Hart at 615-585-2401, email Amhart1966@aol.com or contact your high school Guidance Department.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has set up a program that allows the public to drop off unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs during regular business hours Monday through Friday at the Destin substation on Stahlman Avenue.

The JobsPlus Mobile one stop will be at the Destin Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. Services include unemployment compensation, job search help and Use Florida Marketplace registration.

Seniors of Destin Program

Call the Destin Community Center at 654-5184 for more information on programs for seniors.

• Golf with Pat on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 9 a.m. at Golf Garden. Clubs and balls free; $15 green fee includes cart. Call 685-5310.

• Free golf lessons, 8 a.m. 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at Morgan Sport Complex. Call 685-5310.

• Senior movie day: “my Life In ruins” with Richard Dreyfus at 1 p.m. Aug. 23. Snacks and soft drinks supplied.

•Potluck birthday party: Bring a covered dish to celebrate August birthdays on Aug. 26.

• Lunchtime seminar: Westwood Retirement Resort hosts a lunchtime seminar on “happy Feet and How to Get Them” at noon Aug. 24. Lunch provided. Call 863-5174 by Aug. 19 to register. 

Baby Turtle Adoption Program

Adopt and name your own baby Loggerhead Turtle at Henderson Beach State Park for a donation of any amount through the end of August. Funding will used for environmental education outreach programs and supplies, and well as protection, research and monitoring of sea turtles at Henderson Beach State Park. to make your credit card or check donation, call 888-836-1105 with your turtle name and your contact information so a certificate can be mailed to you confirming your turtle name and adoption.

The first 120 participants will be entered into a random drawing for a complimentary 2-night stay at the Henderson Park Inn, subject to availability. Winner will be announced after the live birth that can be viewed on the Henderson Park Inn TurtleCam.

Waterfront Rescue Mission needs your help to supply for the needs of those living in the constant heat. to help them protect themselves from the elements the following items are needed: Bottled water/Gatorade, sun block, lip balm (with sun block), Bars of soap, hats, sunglasses, backpacks, bug repellent and deodorant. Drop-off location is 112 Hollywood Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach.

Staff members from Emerald Coast Hospice will blanket the community throughout August distributing food collection bags and gathering donations for Sharing and Caring, inc. as part of the company’s Seventh Annual Food Drive.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach will hold the following tours. A $6 park entrance fee is required, except for Breakfast with a Ranger. outside tours are canceled during severe weather. for information, call 267-8330.

• Aug. 25: Join the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association and learn about the wonders of the universe at 8 p.m. Aug. 25.

The Okaloosa Republican Club will host a presentation by mr. Mark Bellinger, the executive director, Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council, at 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at the American Legion Hall, 105 Hollywood Blvd. in Fort Walton Beach. Cost of dinner is $10.  Reservations will be accepted through Aug. 22 at 609-1179 or 651-5049.

Science Friday seminar 

The Science Friday seminar series hosted by the Sciences Division at Northwest Florida State College will begin for the 2011-12 academic year at 11 a.m. Aug. 26 in the Robert E. Greene, Jr. Science building on the Niceville campus, in the main lecture hall, room S-110.  The seminars are held monthly and are free and open to the public. Dr. Richard Hough will discuss “The C.S.I. Effect: what we can & cannot Do with Crime Scene Technology”. Other seminars will be on Sept. 16, Oct. 21 and Nov. 18. Call 729-5376.

Talking Business seminar

The Business and Computer Technology Division and the Leadership Institute at Northwest Florida State College will host a Talking Business Seminar, presented by Dr. David Goetsch, at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in room 128 of the Learning Resource Center on the Niceville Campus. The seminar is free and open to the public. Call 729-5369.

New Messages for the 21st Century will be presented by Jim Fowler, spokesperson for the Natural World Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom, at 11 a.m. Aug. 27 at the E. O. Wilson Biophilia Center in Freeport.

America’s Boating Course will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Anchorage, 404 Green Acres Road in Fort Walton Beach. there is a $35 charge for materials. Call 863-0874.

An “About Boating Safely Course” will be held at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 27 at Coast Guard Station Destin on Okaloosa Island. Registration starts at 8:15 a.m. Cost is $45 and includes text, lunch, tour of the station and the examination. Pre-register by Aug. 21 at 623-980-8782.

A 4-week public boating course, “America’s Boating Course 3”, will be held on Monday nights from 6-9 p.m. beginning Sept. 26 at the Anchorage building, 404 Green Acres Road in Fort Walton Beach. Attendees should arrive early on the first night for administrative tasks. Tuition is free, but there is a $35 charge for classroom materials. Call 863-0874.

Passion1.27, The Heart of God Adoption & Orphan Ministry, will hold a free adoption, foster and orphan care information seminar from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 27 at Grace Lutheran Church Family Life Center, 4325 Commons Drive West in Destin. there is no commitment after attending this seminar; it is simply an information gathering opportunity. Register at passion127.eventbrite.com or e-mail Passion127@mchsi.com.

Harbor Docks Charities will host its 26th Annual Live Auction Aug. 27 with door opening at 6 p.m. for the Silent Auction and bidding starting at 7:30 p.m. for the Live Auction. A $15 cover charge includes food, entertainment, and bidder number. Auctioneer Ted Corcoran will host the festivities.

Harbor Docks Charities activities help fund the annual Take-A-Kid Fishing Day and Destin Harvest “Feeding the Hungry”. any business interested in donating a gift certificate or item for the auction, please call Jackie at Harbor Docks at 837-2506.

The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida in Valparaiso will host its community Yard Sale Spectacular with the Niceville-Valparaiso Kiwanis from 7 a.m. to noon Aug. 27. Donations (no clothes) will be accepted during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. Limited 10’ x 10’ spaces available for sellers for $10.  Visit the museum and reserve your spot. Call 678-2615.

Destin Pack 540 will have its Back-to-School Night at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in the Multipurpose Room at Destin Elementary. all boys in grades 1-5 are invited to come see what Cub Scouting is all about.  for more information email denisegates01@gmail.com.

Arbor Wealth Management, LLC will host a complimentary seminar, “at what Age should I begin Accepting Social Security Benefits?”, at 10 a.m. Aug. 31 at the offices of Arbor Wealth Management in the Tops’l Commercial Center, on U.S. 98, in Miramar Beach. Call 608-6121 to reserve seating.

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

Don Ware will lead a bird walk at the Okaloosa landfill and spray fields in Wright at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10. Meet at the Coach and Four Restaurant on Lewis Turner Boulevard. Bring a hat, water, sunscreen, insect repellant, and binoculars. Call 862-6582.

Volunteers are needed for the North American Migration Count Sept. 17. no experience necessary. Call 862-6582 for assignment to one of 14 parties of observers in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

Join Nelda Seever for a morning of viewing reddish egrets, black skimmers, plovers and other birds of the beaches Sept 24. Meet at Uptown Station in Fort Walton Bech at 6:30 a.m. and at 7:15 a.m. at the entrance to the Navarre County Park at the foot of the Navarre Bridge on Santa Rosa Island. Bring sunscreen, hat, water, and long sleeves.

Wildlife presentation

Celebrate Literacy Month with a book reading and wildlife presentation from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Sept. 8 at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin. Learn about the work wildlife rehabilitators do to help injured and sick animals.  Program included in park admission fee. Call 837-7550.

Flag Raising Ceremony

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, a Flag Raising Ceremony will beheld at noon Sept. 11 at Central Park, Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach. Call 654 4126, ext. 113.

The fall Panhandle Job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 15 at St. Mary’s Parish Life Center, 165 Coral Drive in Fort Walton Beach. The check-in and registration for employer set-up is from 8-9:45 a.m. Register in advance at panhandlejobfair.com.

Cooking demonstration

The Fresh Market’s Fresh Flavors Cooking Demo, featuring Italian Style Sausage Hoagies with Italian Style Pasta Salad, will be held from 3-6 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Fresh Market in Destin, 4495 Commons Drive West. The event is free.

Henderson Beach State Park in Destin will host Florida’s Coastal Clean-Up from 8-11 a.m. Sept. 17. Free T-shirts, snacks and water will be given to volunteers while supplies last. Wear closed shoes, gloves, cap and sunscreen. Park admission is waived for this event to participants. Call 837-7550.

Staring by the Shore

A star staring program with volunteers from the Northwest Florida Astronomy Association will set up several telescopes for public viewing of star clusters, planets and galaxies from 7-10 p.m. Sept. 23 at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin. Program included in park admission fee. Call 837-7550.

The 15th annual Gulf Power Company Economic Symposium will be hosted at the Baytowne Conference Center in Sandestin from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and from 7:30 a.m. to noon Oct. 4. this year’s theme, Northwest Florida — full Throttle, brings together civic, government and business leaders to share views on developing an economically competitive region. Visit gulfpower.com/symposium/ for complete schedule and registration information.

Owls and Other Critters

The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge presents Owls and Other Critters from 11-11:30 a.m. Oct. 6 at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin.

Walk to end Alzheimer’s

Brookdale Senior Living and Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort invite the public to participate in the Walk to end Alzheimer’s to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association at 9 a.m. Nov. 5 beginning at Baytown Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Registration starts at 8 a.m. Participants will have one-mile and three-mile course options. for more information or donations, call 267-1600.

The following events are held regularly at the Destin Library. Call 837-8572

• Tai Chi for Arthritis: at 7 a.m.  Wednesdays. Cost is $5/class.

• Cuddlers & Toddlers Storytime: From 3-3:45 p.m. Tuesdays and 9:30-10:15 a.m. Thursdays for ages 4 months to 4 years.

• Independent Film Series: Independent and foreign films shown at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month.

• Friends of the Destin Library: Monthly meeting held at 10 a.m. the second Friday of each month.

Destin Community Center

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require help are questioned to say the center 48 hours in advance.

• Duplicate bridge: at 9:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays and 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Instruction classes are held at 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays. Entry fee: $6. no partner needed.

• Game room: Open to children 10 and older and under 10 accompanied by adult from 1-9 p.m. Monday-Friday.

• Kidz Klub: After-school program from 3-5:30 p.m. restarts Aug. 22. 

• Intermediate party bridge: Mondays and Tuesdays at 12:45 p.m. at Buck Destin Park. Call 837-1967.

• Jazzercise class: 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Call 621-3055. 

• Open gym: Check ahead for times and dates open.

• Table tennis: 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays and 3-5 p.m. Tuesdays.