Whitehall-Coplay Press

Second only to trout, black bass is the most popular sport fish that Pennsylvania anglers fish for. And beginning June 17, the season for them opens with a creel limit of six and a size limit of at least 12 inches.

Despite this, most bass anglers wisely practice catch-and-release. It’s not because largemouth and smallmouth bass aren’t good eating, because they are. It’s because they’re more fun to catch-and-release as they can be caught again another day.

Doug Koenig, former Alburtis now Hamburg resident and professional handgun shooting competitor who shoots for Team Smith & Wesson, has won another prestigious Bianchi Cup. This makes it 18 for Koenig, a title that is unprecedented in the Cup’s history that began back in 1979.

And it’s considered the first of the triple crown with the others being the IPSC U.S. Nationals and Steel Challenge.

If you’re an avid saltwater fishing fan, you have to attend the only saltwater fishing show in the northeast. And until you can wet a line in the suds, the Saltwater Fishing Expo in New Jersey serves as a primer to the upcoming saltwater season.

This annual saltwater expo kicks off its three-day run on Friday, March 17. It features the latest in saltwater tackle, boats, watercraft gear and seminars that cover the gamut of saltwater angling. In fact, there are tackle items offered that can’t be found in most tackle shops or big box stores.

Now that the major hunting seasons are over and spring gobbler season has yet to get under way, sportsmen can still pursue probably the toughest, most wary and wily animal in Pennsylvania: the coyote.

The Boone and Crocket Club (www.boone-crockett.org) has announced a potentially new world record bowshot elk.

Taken during the 2016 Montana archery season, and on public land, the elk scored an astounding 430 inches after the six-day drying period.

The bull elk was taken on a solo hunt early in the Montana archery season by resident Steve Felix, who brought the bull to the attention of Boone & Crockett (B&C).

Despite fall temperatures, avid anglers don’t let that prevent them from launching their boats for some fall fishing. For those who do, the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PF&BC) reminds all boaters that beginning Nov. 1 and continuing until April 30, you are required to wear a life jacket while underway or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length.

Sportsman have a potpourri of hunting pursuits after this past weekend’s opening of the squirrel, rabbit, grouse, woodcock and one-week muzzleloader deer hunting season (that ends this Sat. Oct. 22) for antlerless deer. Add to that duck season that opens in the southern portions of Pennsylvania.

For sportsmen and sports gals fortunate to have a place to hunt in WMU’s 2B, here in 5C and 5D, the archery deer hunting season kicks off for you this Saturday, Sept. 17. The season starts here two weeks earlier than the statewide season that gets underway Oct. 1. At this time both antlered and antlerless deer may be taken.

On Sept. 4, Northampton’s Hungarian Hall Golf Association held its Ring of Fire golf tournament at Willowbrook Golf Course in North Catasauqua. But this wasn’t your typical golf outing. It was a benefit that, over the past 10 years, has raised more than $63,000 to help a needy person, family or charity, according to Jeff Christoff, the charity’s spokesperson.

While we’re still not in the dog days of summer doldrums - a time when heat and humidity bring most fishing action to a crawl if not a stop - you may want to hit the waters before that occurs.

And with recent rains that brought local streams up a bit, most of our local fishing reporters say fishing remains decent.