NWS 12-30-05 14C 14C FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2005 • NWS SPORTS sun-sentinel.com • SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL BEST AND DUCK DETAILS WORST SEASON The 2005-06 duck season runs through Jan. 29. Canvasback OF 2005 season ends today. The Youth Waterfowl Hunting What captured headlines Days for children under 16 are Feb. in sports broadcasting. 5-6. Wrapping up 2005, a broadcast sports year in which the games came blasting out BAG LIMIT of TVs (big and little), radios (transistor and Six ducks per hunter satellite), computers and phones. per day. The daily The national stories: limit shall consist of 1. NBC regains the NFL with showcase no more than one Sunday night games and flexible late-season black duck, one schedule — there will be no 2-12 teams mottled duck, one playing deep into December — starting in fulvous whistling 2006. Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth and duck, one pintail, John Madden will be the voices. two redheads, two Collinsworth is great in the studio but may wood ducks, two do play-by-play with Madden. scaup (bluebills), 2. Monday Night Football leaves ABC four scoters and four after 36 years for ESPN. It’s still Monday NEXT TIME BRING A RETRIEVER: George Perkins wades back to the blind with a couple of ducks. Perkins, who mallards (no more Night Football and it’s still Disney. Al than two hens). All hunts deer and squirrels, said he had “no idea there could be that many ducks” to hunt. Staff photos/Steve Waters Michaels is staying with Joe Theismann as other species of his broadcast partner. duck (except 3. NASCAR gets a new harlequin) may be eight-year, $4.5 billion TV taken. deal (beginning in 2007), which gets ABC and DUCK TALES ESPN back on the track. POSSESSION LIMIT Auto racing will only get Two days’ bag limit. bigger. than subject his anglers to poor 4. The NHL rejects Hunting makes fishing. ESPN for OLN. Bad SHOOTING HOURS Those cold fronts can make for move. A sport cannot be 30 minutes before excellent duck hunting, which Brian JIM SARNI big-time without ESPN. for good stories sunrise to sunset. re-discovered last season when his ON BROADCAST The local stories: It’s been a great duck season so friend, Jason Maret, talked him into SPORTS 1. 790 The Ticket far in South Florida, and it’s hard to going hunting at Lake Okeechobee. becomes the new home LICENSES believe that we’re only halfway Brian had such a good time he of the Dolphins. Jimmy Cefalo, miscast as a All waterfowl through it. decided to get back into it and guide play-by-play announcer, and Joe Rose hunters are required I’ve had more quality hunts duck hunters when he isn’t fishing replace Howard David and Jim Mandich. to have a valid during the first month of the season (call him at 954-802-0868). 2. Mandich chooses to remain with Florida hunting than I usually have during an entire Hunting out of his custom-built WQAM. The Mad Dog is his own man. Still license, a free season. duck boat, I was impressed by the king of afternoon radio. migratory bird Today is the midpoint of Florida’s WELL, WELL, WELL: This banded Brian’s knack for picking a good 3. Sun Sports and FSN Florida merge into permit, a Florida 60-day season, which ends Jan. 29, blue-winged teal was a nice surprise spot and putting out the decoys just one company. Great move for waterfowl stamp so I’m looking to George Perkins. so. During a hunt with Brian and programming. Viewers are the winners. and a federal duck forward to some Ray Van Nostrand, we had ring- 4. The Marlins replace Len Kasper and stamp. Florida more memorable I CATCH FISHING TIPS BY necks zipping all around us and we Boog Sciambi with Rich Waltz and Roxy residents age 65 or hunts. STEVE WATERS IN TODAY’S each managed to shoot a few. Bernstein. At least national viewers can still older, residents From the COMMUNITY SPORTS. The best part came when eight hear Kasper (WGN) and Sciambi (ESPN). totally and Everglades to ringers dropped in on the decoys. My faves (national) permanently Lake and I’ve never seen a duck hunter We all fired and four of the birds hit Play-by-play: 1. Marv Albert, 2. Dave disabled possessing Okeechobee to any happier. the water. Although we got a few O’Brien, 3. Al Michaels. a disability license the stormwater Just like that, George, who lives more ducks after that, we couldn’t Analyst: 1. Johnny Miller, 2. Mary Carillo, and any resident treatment areas, in Pompano Beach, started talking stop talking about that one perfect 3. Daryl Johnston. who is a member of STEVE I’ve seen good about doing a little less deer and flight. Studio host: 1. Bob Costas, 2. Greg the U.S. Armed numbers and squirrel hunting so he could hunt The following week, Brian invited Gumbel, 3. Ernie Johnson. WATERS Forces (not varieties of ducks a little more often. He also me to join him and Jason. The ducks Studio analyst: 1. Cris Collinsworth, 2. Jay ON OUTDOORS stationed in this ducks. But the talked about getting some duck were not as plentiful as before, but Bilas, 3. Harold Reynolds. state while home on best aspect of the season has been decoys, a pair of waders and a lot those that checked out our decoy Sideline reporter: 1. Erin Andrews, 2. leave for 30 days or all the new people I’ve hunted with more steel shot, as well as shooting spread provided plenty of thrills, Suzy Kolber, 3. Bonnie Bernstein. less) are required to and the neat experiences we’ve something besides teal and maybe like the ringnecks that we didn’t see My faves (local) have only the shared. even bagging a banded duck. until after we’d heard the fighter jet- Play-by-play: 1. Dave Strader (Panthers federal duck stamp. George Perkins had never hunted George’s enthusiasm was like whoosh of their wings as they TV), 2. Steve Goldstein (Panthers radio), 3. Children under 16 ducks until this season. We’d talked refreshing and prophetic. flew over our heads. Eric Reid (Heat TV). are exempt from about duck hunting after seeing a Subsequent hunts produced Then there was the lone drake Analyst: 1. Tommy Hutton (Marlins TV), licenses. couple of wood ducks and a flock of shovelers, ringnecks and black- that Jason pointed out to me and 2. Denis Potvin (Panthers TV), 3. Randy teal while hunting squirrels this past bellied whistling ducks. The that I dropped behind us. As I waded Moller (Panthers radio). winter at the Big Cypress National highlight was shooting a banded over to retrieve the duck, a “three- Talk show: 1. Boog Sciambi (790 The INFORMATION Preserve. George got some permits blue-winged teal at STA 5, my first pack” approached and Brian and Ticket), 2. Hank Goldberg (WQAM), 3. Evan Waterfowl to hunt the local STAs, and he’s banded. I think George was happier Jason told me to freeze. Cohen (760 ESPN Radio). regulations are been hooked on duck hunting since than me when he picked up the bird. I turned around just in time to And furthermore: available from the his first venture. Brian Sanders is another watch one of Jason’s ducks fall 10 Best show: Pardon The Interruption Florida Fish and “I had no idea there could be that enthusiastic waterfowler who has feet in front of me. His second duck Best newcomer: Reggie Miller (TNT) Wildlife many ducks,” George said after gotten back into duck hunting. The dropped just beyond me and we all Best sports movie: Murderball Conservation seeing hundreds of teal buzz around Davie resident hunted ducks so heard Brian’s duck land in the boat. Best documentary: Dare To Dream Commission South one of the STAs built by the South often growing up in South Florida That’s a triple none of us will (HBO) regional office, 8535 Florida Water Management District he stopped for six years. forget, no matter how good the Best reunion: Bill Walton and Steve Northlake Blvd., to filter phosphorus out of A premier light-tackle fishing second half turns out. “Snapper” Jones (ABC/ESPN). West Palm Beach or agricultural runoff. guide in the Ten Thousand Islands, Best new network: ESPNU (Why isn’t it by calling Although hunting conditions Brian kept busy as long as the on my cable system?) 561-625-5122 or were tough, George managed to weather cooperated. Winter cold Steve Waters can be reached at Must-have: XM satellite radio for Major visiting shoot a blue-winged teal and a fronts can make for slow fishing and [email protected] or at League Baseball broadcasts. www.myfwc.com/ green-winged teal on his first hunt, Brian would rather cancel a trip 954-356-4648. Go away: Woody Paige. Why is this guy duck on so many shows? Read more on sun-sentinel.com. Jim Sarni can be reached at [email protected]. Fishing Report Outdoor Notebook L AKE O KEECHOBEE Islamorada were catching redfish, snook Sailfish tournament: The West Palm Beach members). Call 1-866-732-BASS. SARNI’S PICKS OF THE WEEK and sea trout from Flamingo to Cape Fishing Club’s 69th Silver Sailfish Derby is STA tour: The South Florida Water Capt. Chet Douthit of Clewiston said Sable. Thursday-Jan. 7 out Management District is offering an escorted Today his charter Thursday caught 30 bass up to of Sailfish Marina in birding tour at Stormwater Treatment Area 5 Four bowls, including UM vs.