The Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to make an important and far-reaching decision this year that will affect more than 500 million gasoline engines powering everything from large pickups to family cars to lawn mowers: whether to grant the ethanol industry’s request to raise the maximum amount of ethanol that can be added to gasoline.

Ethanol Industry’s 15% Solution Raises Concerns - NYTimes.com

According to the data, the program's first year: --recovered more than 8,600 crab pots and 61 abandoned nets. --discovered nearly 5,000 animals, including: more than 3,000 crabs, 19 turtle species, eels, a lobster, a diving duck and a muskrat--some alive, some dead. --involved fifty-eight watermen who covered 1,524 square miles of the bay and its tributaries

Crabs, turtles found in Chesapeake 'ghost pots' -- dailypress.com

Richard Carney, 31, of Portsmouth caught this 24-inch pickerel, his first catch, which is a state Inland Fisheries citation qualifier. (Courtesy of Mike Jones)

Greenhorn nets first fish - and a trophy | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

A coastal recreational fishing group is pushing North Carolina legislators to enact a bill that would designate red drum and spotted sea trout, or speckled trout, as coastal game fish and make them off-limits to commercial fishermen

Some game fish could soon be off limits to commerical fishermen | fish, fisheries, fishermen - Local - ENCToday

A federal judge sentenced the former owner of a Georgetown seafood restaurant and his son yesterday to three years' probation for purchasing thousands of pounds of illegal rockfish.

Ex-Owner of Seafood Shop, Son Get 3 Years' Probation for Buying Illegal Rockfish - washingtonpost.com

Red drum are providing decent action among the breakers and sloughs near Smith and Fisherman's Island, especially at night. The best action is among the breakers, and kayak anglers are taking advantage of this trend right now. John Fauci (Norfolk) released a 58-inch bull from his kayak in the white water off Fisherman's Island. Bill Knapp (Virginia Beach) found drum action while his crew braved the storms and rain, releasing a 51-inch red while bottom fishing at night with crab off Fisherman's Island.

Fishing report | Richmond Times-Dispatch

A big catch for Bradley Channels of Elkins with assistance from dad Donnie Channels

"I always call the West Virginia group the 'good luck group'," said fishing guide Ryan Rogers. "It's the third year they've been with us and the third year we've caught our limit.  I always look forward to the fellowship and a good group of guys."

Each lure is hand-tied by the crew of the Midnight Sun

Rogers captains "The Midnight Sun" out of Smith Point Marina in Reedville, Virginia.    During the early part of the year he's targeting stripers, but his is a year-round operation.

West Virginia Outdoors News

CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Blackfin tuna
- David Jennette, Suffolk, 28-0, off Hatteras.
- Matthew McBee, Windsor, 24-0, off Hatteras.
- Anthony Ramiro, Virginia Beach, 27-0, off Hatteras.
Channel catfish
- William R. Jones, Portsmouth, 30 and 31 inches, Western Branch Reservoir.
Largemouth bass
- Emily Terringer, 11, Virginia Beach, 22-1/2 inches (caught on 2-pound test line), private pond.
- Brandon Sheppard, Portsmouth, 6-7, Lone Star Lakes.
Shark (any species) releases
- Mark Hartung, Chesapeake, 96 inches, Cigar seamount.
- Max King, Chesapeake, 96 inches, Cigar seamount.
Shellcracker
- Mike Jones, Portsmouth, 1-11, Western Branch Reservoir.
Speckled trout
- Gary Capps, Portsmouth, 6-2, Elizabeth River.
- Casper Piotrowski, Chesapeake, 5-4, Rudee Inlet.
Tautog
- Nelson Anderson, Chesapeake, 9-12, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- Casey Copeland, Virginia Beach, 24-1/2 -inch release, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- John Domanski, Virginia Beach, 9-12, Cape Henry Wreck.
- Mark Leach, Virginia Beach, 10-4, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- Jamie Logan, Parksley, 9-2, 3-Mile Hill.
- Mark Raymond, Virginia Beach, 10-8, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- Richard Stell, Virginia Beach, 9-4, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- Eddie Wilkey, Chesapeake, 11-8, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
- Bryan Wiltsey, Norfolk, 9-12, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

White marlin release
- Chase Parks, Manteo, off Hatteras.

Fishing forecast for the week of May 7 - 13 | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

Disgusted that his fishing spot had been mined of fish, Dubiel hauled up his trolling motor and fired up the outboard. Motoring to several other spots across miles of the sound was just as disheartening. Thousands of yards of gill nets set parallel but just offshore of the same leeward banks he wanted to fish blocked him from fishing the shoreline. On the few casts he and his clients made, they hooked only gill nets.

Untangling the truth about North Carolina's gill nets - ESPN

Flounder are still on in many areas, most notably on the seaside Eastern Shore. Small croakers are just beginning to arrive and larger fish will appear as the waters warm.

At the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, black sea bass and tautog have been steady this week. However, please remember that the tautog fishery is closed May 1 through June 24. Also note that the Virginia striped bass trophy season began May 1 and extends through May 15 in the coastal area and June 15 in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Anglers may keep one fish of 32 inches or greater during the trophy season, provided they turn in a catch report (available through the Virginia Saltwater Journal - https://www.vasaltwaterjournal.com/).

Young anglers Conor Thornes, 7, left, and Walker Fluhart, 10, right, enjoyed a good day of fishing on April 25 out of Quinby. The boys are pictured with their fathers, Bill Thornes and David Fluhart and the two flounder the boys caught. The largest was 23.5 inches and the smaller measured 20 inches.

Anglers net both red, black drum | delmarvanow.com | The Daily Times