Smalley catches up on outdoor news
On again. Off again. On again. This describes the proposed buyout of Cabela’s by Bass Pro Shops.
The deal, announced last year, ran into a snag when the Federal Trade Commission wanted to take a closer look at Capital One’s plans to buy World’s Foremost Bank, a banking subsidiary of Cabela’s. The FTC gave the deal its blessing this spring and Cabela’s shareholders voted in early July to approve the sale. Rumor is, Cabela’s will maintain its brand while owned by Bass Pro Shops.
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Thinking about heading to Alaska to catch some king salmon this fall?
Well, you better make some phone calls because, effective Aug 10, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed all fishing for king salmon in southeast Alaska. The emergency closure includes all sports fishing and all commercial fishing for king salmon.
Citing poor ocean survival and record low returns to home river systems, Deputy Commissioner Charlie Swanson recently said, “Ocean conditions don’t look at that promising in 2018, and we want to do whatever we can to turn around and try not to replicate 2017 moving into 2018 and beyond.”
The department will re-evaluate the closure at the end of September.
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As if Michigan hasn’t already had enough problems with aquatic invasive species, two more alien critters are threatening the Wolverine State’s waterways.
First it was zebra mussels and quagga mussels that have been found in over 70 counties. Now Gov. Rick Snyder’s Invasive Carp Challenge is offering up to $700,000 to anyone with an effective solution to get rid of bighead, silver and black carp. Also called Asian carp, they can grow over 100 pounds and can jump out of the water to threaten boaters.
They pose a very real threat to the Great Lake’s $7 billion fishing industry.
And now Louisiana red swamp crayfish have recently shown up in two places. These critters can out-compete native crayfish and can travel up to one mile out of water.
Famous last words from Michigan: “Nobody thought zebra mussels were a problem at first!”
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Information for this column came from Outdoor Hub.