Outdoor Notes / Elliott Teaford : Fishing for Bass, He Lands Record Cat

Glenn Bell of Orange was fishing for bass Sunday at Irvine Lake when he hooked into a world-record 58 1/2-pound catfish measuring 46 1/2 inches.

It was initially thought to be a channel catfish, but Dept. of Fish and Game biologists, after studying the fish for three days, determined it a blue catfish.

Bell’s fish is a half-pound heavier than the listed record caught in South Carolina in 1964. It also is the largest blue cat ever caught in California, surpassing a 36-pound 13-ounce fish caught in 1977 at Lake Jennings in San Diego County.

Irvine Lake was also the site of the former record catfish, a 48 1/2-pound channel cat caught two years ago.

Record fish have been coming out of the lake ever since management opened it to night fishing, the best time for catfish to feed.

Bell’s big catch came about 5:30 p.m. Sunday on his boat “One More Catch” in the Sierra Cove Area. Bell was using eight-pound-test line and a purple-colored plastic worm.

A Dept. of Fish and Game program to re-establish the population of the Lahontan cutthroat trout in the eastern Sierra is expected to begin this fall. The project is in a section of the Slinkard Creek in northern Mono County.

Slinkard Creek is located in 6,100-foot high Slinkard Valley, just south of Topaz Lake.

Before the Walker River strain, listed as threatened by the state and federal government, is introduced, the population of eastern brook trout from upstream will be eliminated.

The two fish are incompatible and rotenone, a chemical that destroys the fish’s ability to breathe, will be placed into the stream.

A public meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. next Wednesday July 16 at the Walker Community Center in the town of Walker to explain the project.

Heenan Lake in Alpine County offers fisherman a chance to catch Lahontan cutthroat. Heenen is a catch and release lake with only fly fishing available.

Among 27 California bighorn sheep relocated to Lee Vining Canyon in Mono County 13 were ewes, 12 of which survived the four months since they were moved from the Mount Baxter area of Inyo County March 5.

The ewes have produced nine healthy lambs and the herd appears to be doing very well in it’s new location, according to Dept. of Fish and Game wildlife biologist Tom Blankinship.

At one point, the project was headed for disappointing outcome when, not long after the transplant, three rams and four lambs died.

The sheep were fitted with radio collars and are monitored around-the-clock by three Yosemite National Park Service wildlife specialists.

Ten bigsheep transplants have successful been completed since 1979. Plans are underway for at least two more operations of 100 sheep or more.

Dick Fraser of Ceder Safari on New Zealand’s South Island will speak on fishing in New Zealand’s remote, untouched streams Thursday July 17 at the Sierra Pacific Flyfishers meeting. Reservations are at (818) 785-7306.

Reservations for waterfowl hunting on the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge will be necessary for opening weekend only. Applications will be accepted by mail from Aug. 1-15 for the mid-Oct. opener. A drawing will be held to determine the 250 alloted permits. Mail applications to: Refuge Manager, Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1610, Alturas, Calif. 96101.