California Fishing News

Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens arrested four lobster poachers over the weekend on two all-night operations. The SCUBA-clad poachers were stealing lobsters from commercial fishermen's traps.

"Today's decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to protect longfin smelt affords me an authority that I will approach judiciously. While this process, triggered by the regulation, could lead to some water restrictions to protect fish, dramatic cuts from this action will not occur. The Commission's action will allow the state and federal water projects to be able to continue operating, providing water to millions of California citizens. The Department of Fish and Game has worked diligently to craft a 90-day regulation that provides for protection of longfin smelt while recognizing the importance of various agencies' responsibilities to protect both humans and fish."

One of the biggest Chinook salmon ever recorded in California was found dead of natural causes in lower Battle Creek near Red Bluff last month. Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists measured to estimate what the live weight of the dead fish would have been. A standard size-to-weight formula was used to determine approximate live weight. Based on measurements of the fish (51 inches long), it could have surpassed the current state angling record for a Chinook salmon. It was estimated to have been between five and six years of age.

FREE YOUTH FISHING EVENT
El Dorado Park in Long Beach, will host free fishing derby for kids on November 22, 2008
Long Beach – Children ages 5-15 are invited to participate in a free youth fishing event hosted by the City of Long Beach Department of Parks & Recreation. The fishing event will be at El Dorado Park located at 7550 E. Spring Street, Long Beach, CA 90815 on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

A limited fishery for Central Valley Chinook salmon will begin November 1, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) announced today. From Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2008, the Sacramento River from 150 feet below the Lower Red Bluff (Sycamore) Boat Ramp to the Highway 113 bridge at Knights Landing will open under a daily bag and possession limit of one salmon. The remainder of the Central Valley basin, which includes the Sacramento, Feather, American and San Joaquin rivers or any of their tributaries, will remain closed to salmon fishing.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is accepting public comment for the Shasta River and Scott River Watershed-wide Permitting Programs Draft Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). The public has the opportunity to review and provide comments on the two draft EIRs for a period of 60 days. The review process for both programs officially began on Oct. 10, 2008

GARDEN GROVE, California - Lear Baylor, Inc., the latest business enterprise of the family that developed the Learjet, has just announced a new, more powerful drive system for its line of Lear all-electric boats. Shanda Lear-Baylor, company CEO and daughter of Learjet designer Bill Lear, says, "It's still pure green, whisper-quiet, non-polluting, and environmentally friendly, but we've doubled the voltage of the drive system, gone to a more powerful motor, and suddenly, it's not just the best built and most luxurious electric boat available, it's also got the most "oomph.

WHAT: MPA Designations in the Central Pacific Ocean
Anti-recreational fishing groups seek to ban recreational fishing in pending Pacific Ocean marine protected area designations

ACTION: The White House is accepting public comment until October 28, 2008. The sportfishing community needs to act now.

WHAT: The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Marine Region will host a special demonstration of its underwater video sampling capabilities with its Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

WHEN: Oct. 21, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

CERRITOS, California - Daiwa has introduced two new TD Zillion™ baitcasters with 4.9:1 retrieve - TDZLN100PA and the mirror-image, left-hand model TDZLN100PLA - both specifically designed for crankbait fishing applications. Sleek and lightweight, yet extremely powerful, these state-of-the-art reels offer the slower retrieve speed and higher torque needed to work a wide variety of plugs easily and effectively.