U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross recently met with recreational fishing and boating industry leaders in Fort Pierce, FL to discuss marine recreational fishing access and the importance of marine recreation to the U.S. economy. His office is finalizing the rule requiring descending devices onboard vessels targeting snapper and grouper in the South Atlantic.

Standard & Poors lowered its debt rating on Pure Fishing to CCC+ from B- as it believes a weak economic and retail outlook in 2020 might cause Pure Fishing’s lease-adjusted debt to EBITDA to be above 10x before improving to below 10x in 2021.

BPI Outdoors, a leader in muzzleloading rifles and accessories with the CVA, Powerbelt, and Durasight brands, hired Damon Bungard to the position of senior marketing manager.

Northland Fishing Tackle acquired Bagley Bait Company. The acquisition will grow Northland’s line of product offerings into new markets and product lines. Along with Bagley Bait Company, designer Jarmo Rapala joins the team at Northland.

For just the third time in the event’s history, the 2021 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic will be coming to Texas as Fort Worth hosts the event for the first time.

American Outdoor Brands Corp. announced that it will change its name to Smith & Wesson Brands Inc., effective June 1. The change reflects the company’s preparation for the previously announced spin-off of its outdoor products and accessories business as a tax-free stock distribution to its stockholders.

German Precision Optics (GPO) USA, a leader in the engineering, design and development of premium binoculars, riflescopes and rangefinders, announced a partnership with JES Marketing for the western United States.

Olin Corp., the parent of Winchester, announced the pricing of its previously announced private offering of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 9.5 percent senior notes due 2025.

Ducks Unlimited (DU) has joined forces with other leading conservation organizations to spearhead #ResponsibleRecreation – a media campaign encouraging Americans to enjoy outdoor recreation while adhering to proper COVID-19 safety protocols.

Sturm, Ruger & Company Inc. reported net earnings rose 18.5 percent in the first quarter on an 8.4 percent revenue gain.

The FBI completed 1.68 million gun background checks in April, a hike of 69.1 percent compared to the April 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 992,642. 

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced that assault-style firearms would be banned in the country.