A report from Capt. Julie Ball out of Virginia Beach:

Pending IGFA All tackle World Record Atlantic Spadefish
14lbs, 14oz

13 June

I had the privilege of speaking with a gentleman last night who experienced the catch of a lifetime. Roland E. Murphy was fishing at the Cell aboard the “Kingfish” captained by Allen King and his first mate, Sherie King, all of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

They were in search of big spadefish, and caught a handful, and lost around 15 or so. Roland was up next when the rod in the holder doubled over. But this was no ordinary spadefish. Roland claims that “the fish put up a gallant fight for over 20 minutes, taking me around the boat, back and forth, under the boat, around the motor, almost wearing me out before wearing it out.” But Roland did wear it out, and in the live well it went until tipping the scales at a whopping 14lbs, 14oz. The existing record spade is 14-pounds.

Jon Lucy of VIMS traveled to meet Roland, helping him with his application. Not only is this awesome catch a pending World Record, but paperwork was also submitted for a pending Virginia State Record.

May is National Bike Month, this week is National Bike to Work Week, and Friday is National Bike to Work Day. So in honor of these occasions, I present to you the League of American Bicyclists‘ list of the most and least bike friendly states.

Click here to learn more about bike month and bike week events in Richmond and throughout Virginia.

I will be celebrating bike to work day on Friday by joining two friends in Cumberland, Md. to start our three-day journey down the C&O canal towpath by bike. Actually, that the trip and bike to work day coincide is entirely accidental, though since I’ll be writing about the trip when I get back, you could argue I’ll be biking to work on Friday. I’m just saying…

There are a number of Websites out there with good information on white-nose syndrome.

Let’s start with some sites focusing on bats and WNS in Virginia: Click here for the DGIF press release from a couple of weeks ago confirming WNS in Virginia…and here for some info on WNS in Va. from the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The National Speleological Society maintains a number of related links. Click here for their WNS page.

A good primer on the history and spread of WNS, as well as some relevant links and videos, can be found at batmanagement.com by clicking here.

There was a ton from my conversations with Matt Knox (above, with Izzy) that didn’t make it into today’s column on shed antler hunting. Here are a few highlights.

On when to go shed hunting: You can start finding sheds as early as late December. I don’t get serious until February 1st and that’s still a little early. Mid-February to mid-March is by far the best time.

On why all deer hunters should shed hunt: It provides a tremendous opportunity to scout. If you want to learn where the deer are and where they’re moving on your property, you think you can do it pre-season, you’ll learn 10 times as much post-season. That’s because in the fall the leaves have fallen down and you can’t see where the deer are walking and right now the deer trails are like pig paths.

On picking a shed dog: I’m convinced now that the drive for the hunt is much more important [than the retrieval instinct]. That drive to search and look. I predict in a decade is bunches of people will have [shed] dogs.

When you find one antler, Knox says, keep your eyes peeled for the other: The most amazing thing to me is how often both antlers fall off at the very same place at the very same time. You’d be amazed.

Here are a few outside resources that can help you learn a little more about the hobby.

http://www.shedantlers.org is a good place to start. It’s the Website of the North American Shed Hunters Club.

For an article from Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine…click here.

Field and Stream’s Bill Heavey on shed hunting…click here.

Tips from Outdoor Life…click here.